Selected Publications
- Baasch, S., Henschel, J. & Henneke, P. (2023). Combined Host-Pathogen Fate Mapping to Investigate Lung Macrophages in Viral Infection. In Tissue-Resident Macrophages: Methods and Protocols (pp. 347-361). New York, NY: Springer US.
- Schwabenland, M., Mossad, O., Sievert, A., Peres, A. G., Ringel, E., Baasch, S., … & Blank, T. (2023). Neonatal immune challenge poses a sex-specific risk for epigenetic microglial reprogramming and behavioral impairment. Nat. Commun., 14(1), 2721.
- Baasch, S., Giansanti, P., Kolter, J., Riedl, A., Forde, A. J., Runge, S., … & Henneke, P. (2021). Cytomegalovirus subverts macrophage identity. Cell, 184(14), 3774-3793.
- Baasch, S., Ruzsics, Z., & Henneke, P. (2020). Cytomegaloviruses and macrophages—friends and foes from early on?. Front. Immunol., 11, 793.
- Kolter, J., Feuerstein, R., Zeis, P., Hagemeyer, N., Paterson, N., d’Errico, P., Baasch, S.,… & Henneke, P. (2019). A subset of skin macrophages contributes to the surveillance and regeneration of local nerves. Immunity, 50(6), 1482-1497.
FRIAS Project
Deciphering the cellular reservoir of CMV latency
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a beta herpesvirus that frequently infects infants worldwide within the first years of life via the respiratory tract. CMV shares millions of years of co-evolution with mankind and is therefore highly adapted to its host. Thus, after acute infection CMV is able to establish a latent state, in which no viral replication occurs. Phases of latency are frequently interrupted by re-activation and viral shedding. In immunocompetent individuals, initial infection and re-activation usually go unnoticed, while immunocompromised patients suffer from end organ disease, for example CMV pneumonia after stem cell transplantation.
Macrophages populate all tissues in the body, especially barrier tissues such as the respiratory tract. The lung resident macrophage population is highly heterogeneous, consisting of alveolar macrophages and subsets of interstitial macrophages. Together they orchestrate lung homeostasis. Due to their exposed localisation, alveolar macrophages are first responders in respiratory tract infections and represent main targets for pathogens.
We have recently discovered that after acute infection of the respiratory tract, mouse CMV (MCMV) predominantly infects alveolar macrophages. Subsequently, infected alveolar macrophages disseminate the virus locally. During later stages, hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial cells and macrophages are suggested to be involved in the maintenance of CMV. However, it is not clear, which cell type ultimately harbours CMV during latency.