Thorsten R. Mempel

Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases
Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology
Massachusetts General Hospital
Building 149, 13th Street, Room 6222
Charlestown, MA 02129
Phone: (617) 724-4596
Fax: (617) 726-5651
email: tmempel@mgh.harvard.edu
2 Postdoctoral Fellows

T lymphocytes are part of the adaptive immune system. They are powerful players in the defense against infection and can be effective against tumors, but they are also involved in autoimmune responses, leading to diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, or multiple sclerosis.

T cell responses arise from clonal expansion of a small numbers or naïve precursors through antigenic priming by dendritic cells in secondary lymphoid organs, such as lymph nodes and the spleen. Once these naïve T cells have differentiated to effector T cells, they migrate to the bloodstream, from where they are recruited to peripheral tissues to combat disease.

In order to prevent attacks on healthy tissues, not only the induction of T effector cell differentiation, but also the execution of effector functions is tightly linked to the recognition of cognate antigen. In addition, immune responses are regulated through diverse inhibitory and stimulatory signals that T cells encounter in peripheral tissues. Our lab is seeking to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the function of T cells is spatially and temporally regulated through their interaction with other cells, structural tissue components and soluble mediators that they encounter in tissues.

Our main approach to this end is direct dynamic in vivo visualization of immune processes at cellular and subcellular resolution in living mice, using multiphoton intravital microscopy.

Papers & Publications:

Mempel TR, Henrickson SE, von Andrian UH. T cell priming by dendritic cells in lymph nodes occurs in three distinct phases. Nature 2004; 427: 154-159.

Mempel TR, Scimone ML, Mora JR, von Andrian UH. In vivo imaging of leukocyte trafficking in blood vessels and tissues. Curr. Opin. Immunol. 2004; 16: 406-417.

Mempel TR, Pittet MJ, Khazaie K, Weninger W, Weissleder R, Boehmer H, von Andrian UH. Regulatory T cells reversibly suppress CD8 killer cell function independent of effector differentiation. Immunity 2006; 25(1): 129-141.

Pittet MJ, Mempel TR: Regulation of T Cell Migration and Effector Functions - Insights from in vivo imaging studies. Immunol. Rev. 2008; Feb; 221:107-29

Mempel TR, Bauer CA: Intravital imaging of T cell function in cancer. Clin Exp. Metastasis 2008; epub ahead of print