Martin Oberbarnscheidt M.D., Ph.D.

Local immune responses in transplantation 

Dr. Oberbarnscheidt is a trained nephrologist and transplant immunologist. His research is trying to answer the fundamental immunological questions of how the alloimmune response is initiated and what maintains alloimmunity leading to chronic allograft rejection. These concepts are not only relevant to transplantation, but also to autoimmunity and cancer immunology. His lab is currently working on monocyte allorecognition and memory, as well as local immune responses that perpetuate the alloimmune response. 

The lab is investigating the initial steps of allorecognition by monocytes, interaction of T cells with innate immune cells in the graft and the role of chronic inflammation resulting in local formation of ectopic tertiary lymphoid organs and their contribution to the rejection response.

Current projects include the concept of combining blocking innate allorecognition and T cell activation with the goal to promote long-term allograft survival that can eventually be translated to the clinic. This will help identify factors contributing to sustained allorecognition, chronic rejection and organ failure and facilitate the development of new strategies to improve allograft outcomes and patient lives.

The Oberbarnscheidt lab utilizes many standard cellular immunology techniques as well as more specialized tools such as two-photon intravital microscopy to study cell-cell interactions and morphology directly in living and perfused tissues.