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InFact - Der HZI-Podcast. Wissenschaft, die ansteckt. Podcast
Our immune system in the fight against diseases

Our immune system in the fight against diseases

InFact - Der HZI-Podcast. Wissenschaft, die ansteckt. vor 1 Jahr

with Prof. Dr. Kathrin de la Rosa

0:00

17:57

Oh, but the opponent is getting dangerously close to goal. Now it's
time for the defence to show what it's made of. Exciting duel here.
And... Ah, that was really close. Great performance here.
Really.... Phew. The defence of the football team (maybe
Braunschweig too?) just managed to prevent a goal. And thus helped
the team to victory. Points. Money. Maybe a championship title? We
may not get a championship title or money, but it does feel like a
victory when our immune system successfully fights off a pathogen.
It does this every day. Often without us realising it. But
sometimes we do notice it. For example, in the form of cold
symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, thick tonsils, fever or a red,
swollen area. Then our body's own defence system, our immune
system, is working at full speed. And this is only the case with
harmless pathogens. Some pathogens are not so harmless. And some
people's defences don't work so well either. Then it's a matter of
life and death. Our body is constantly exposed to new challenges -
environmental changes and new pathogens. Our immune system can
receive help against some of these - in the form of vaccinations or
other medicines that can support our immune system in the fight
against certain pathogens. However, there is still no help against
some pathogens. Depending on WHO gets WHICH pathogen, it's a game
of chance. Prof Kathrin de la Rosa wants to be one step ahead of
the pathogens. She wants to be able to improve individual defence
mechanisms in people whose immune system cannot cope with the
pathogen on its own. And she is copying tricks from nature. Since
2024, she has headed the ‘Personalised Immunotherapy’ research
group at the Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine - a joint
institution of Hannover Medical School and the HZI.