ImmunoTwin - Long Term Immunological consequences in adversity-divergent twins - FHSE

The project at a glance

Start date:

15 Jan 2022
Duration in months:

48
Funding:

FNR / DFG
Principal Investigator(s):

Dominika REPCIKOVA

About

The overarching aim of ImmunoTwin is to identify molecular mechanisms that link negative psychological, social, and sociological experiences (adversity) to the life-long increased risk of disease, while excluding genetic mechanisms. In this project we hypothesise that in a manner similar to early-life adversity we will see increased immunosenescence and an altered circulating lymphocyte population biased towards inflammaging after exposure to psychosocial adversity in adulthood. Inflammaging and immunosenescence are key drivers of many noncommunicable diseases. Psychosocial adversity is a key element in the panoply of non-molecular factors that lead to the development and progression of many non-communicable diseases and is part of the complex interaction between the individual and its’ environment. This interdisciplinary project brings together four collaborators from three institutions (LIH, University of Bielefeld and University of Luxembourg) working in four very different domains. The project proposers have complimentary expertise in molecular epigenetics of stress and of the immune system (LIH), psychobiology and clinical psychology (University of Luxembourg), sociology (University of Bielefeld) and economics (University of Luxembourg).

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