Research Interests

The metabolic repertoire of immune cells – which encompasses metabolic enzymes/pathways, the available nutrient sensors and metabolic checkpoint kinases, and the epigenetic programming of metabolic genes – enables and modulates specific immune functions. The goal of our research is to delineate the molecular basis of how cellular metabolism is regulated, and itself regulates, immune-function in health and disease states, and to define how environmental cues are integrated at the cellular level by immune cells to shape cellular metabolism and function.

Key Publications

Dimeloe S., P. Gubser, J. Loeliger, C. Frick, L. Develioglu, M. Fischer, F. Marquardsen, G. R. Bantug, D. Thommen, Y. Lecoultre, A. Zippelius, A.
Langenkamp, C. Hess. Tumor-derived TGF-β inhibits mitochondrial respiration to suppress IFN-γ production by human CD4+ T cells. Science Signaling 2019. 12: eaav3334.

Burgener A.-V., G. R. Bantug, B. Meyer, R. Higgins, A. Ghosh, O.
Bignucolo, E. H. Ma, J. Löliger, G. Unterstab, M. Geigges, R. Steiner, M. Enamorado, R. Ivanek, D. Hunziker, A. Schmidt, B. Müller-Durovic, J.
Grählert, R. Epple, S. Dimeloe, J. Lötscher, U. Sauder, M. Ebnöther, B. Burger, I. Heijnen, S. Martínez-Cano, N. Cantoni, R. Brücker, C. R.
Kahlert, D. Sancho, R. G. Jones, A. Navarini, M. Recher, C. Hess. SDHA gain-of-function engages inflammatory mitochondrial retrograde signaling via KEAP1–Nrf2. Nature Immunology 2019. 20:1311-1321.

Ishay-Ronen D., M. Diepenbruck, R. Kiran Reddy Kalathur, J. Wang, C. Hess, G. Christofori. Gain Fat–Lose Metastasis: Converting Invasive Breast Cancer Cells into Adipocytes Inhibits Cancer Metastasis. Cancer Cell 2019. 14:17-32.
Bantug G.R., L. Galluzzi, G. Kroemer, C. Hess. The spectrum of T cell metabolism in health and disease. Nature Reviews Immunology 2018. 18:19-34.
Bantug G., M. Fischer, J. Grählert, M.L. Balmer, G. Unterstab, L. Develioglu, R. Steiner, L. Zhang, A.S. Henriques da Costa, P.M. Gubser, A.-V. Burgener, U. Sauder, J. Löliger, R. Belle, S. Dimeloe, J. Lötscher, A. Jauch, M. Recher, G. Hönger, M.N. Hall, P. Romero, C. Frezza, C. Hess. Mitochondria–ER contact sites are immunometabolic hubs that orchestrate the rapid recall response of memory CD8+ T cells. Immunity 2018. 48:542-555.
Ma E.H., G. Bantug, T. Griss, M.J. Verway, R.M. Johnson, S. Condotta, T.C. Raissi, H. Tsui, B. Samborska, G. Boukhaled, M. Balmer, S. Henriques da Costa, C. Frezza, C.M. Krawczyk, M.J. Richer, C. Hess, R.G. Jones. Serine is an essential metabolite for effector T cell expansion. Cell Metabolism 2017. 2:345-357.
Navarini A.A., P. Hruz, C.T. Berger, T. Hou, C. Schwab, A. Gabrysch, R. Higgins, N. Frede, B.-C. Padberg Sgier, O. Kämpe, A.-V. Burgener, F. Marquardsen, F. Baldin, M. Bigler, A. Kistner, A. Jauch, O. Bignucolo, B. Meyer, F. Meienberg, M. Mehling, L.T. Jeker, I.A.F.M. Heijnen, T. Daikeler, J.-O. Gebbers, B. Grimbacher*, D. Sansom*, R. Jeker*, C. Hess*, M. Recher* (* equal contribution). Vedolizumab as a successful treatment of CTLA-4 associated autoimmune enterocolitis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2017. 139:1043-1046.
Balmer M.L., E.H. Ma, G.R. Bantug, J. Grählert, S. Pfister, T. Glatter, A. Jauch, S. Dimeloe, E. Slack, P. Dehio, M.A. Krzyzaniak, C.G. King, A.-V. Burgener, M. Fischer, L. Develioglu, R. Belle, M. Recher, W.V. Bonilla, A.J. Macpherson, S. Hapfelmeier, R.G. Jones, C. Hess. Memory CD8+ T Cells Require Increased Concentrations of Acetate Induced by Stress for Optimal Function. Immunity 2016. 44:1312-1324.
Pisarsky L, R. Bill, E. Fagiani, S. Dimeloe, R.W. Goosen, J. Hagmann, C. Hess, G. Christofori. Targeting metabolic symbiosis to overcome resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy. Cell Reports 2016. 15:1161-1174.
Dimeloe S., M. Mehling, C. Frick, J. Loeliger, G. R. Bantug, U. Sauders, M. Fischer, R. Belle, L. Develioglu, S. Tay, A. Langenkamp, C. Hess. The Immune-Metabolic Basis of Effector Memory CD4+ T Cell Function under Hypoxic Conditions. Journal of Immunology 2016. 196:106-14.
Kolev M., S. Dimeloe, G. Le Friec, A. Navarini, G. Arbore, G.A. Povoleri, M. Fischer, R. Belle, J. Loeliger, L. Develioglu, G.R. Bantug, J. Watson, L. Couzi, B. Afzali, P. Lavender, C. Hess* and Claudia Kemper* (* equal contribution and corresponding author). CD46 links complement and metabolic reprogramming in human Th1 responses. Immunity 2015. 16:1033-47.
Gubser P., G.R. Bantug, L. Razik, M. Fischer, S. Dimeloe, G. Heonger, B. Durovic, A. Jauch, C. Hess. Rapid effector function of memory CD8+ T cells requires an immediate-early glycolytic switch. Nature Immunology 2013. 14:1064-72.