Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics

The Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying the environmental control of phenotype development. 

Activities

Stress represents the single most important cause of disease, causing costs as high as 3-4 % of the European GNP, and up to 60% of all work-days lost to disease. Many of these diseases are related to infections and aberrant immune reactions. Our interest is in elucidating genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, translation and post-translational mechanisms underlying environmental control of the stress reaction, particularly within the negative feedback loop of the HPA (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal) axis. 

The main goal of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the environmental control of phenotype development, in the HPA axis and in the immune system. 

Collaborations: 

• “Forschungsinstitut für Psychobiologie des Stresses” University Trier 
• Research Unit INSIDE, University of Luxembourg 
• Leiden-Amsterdam Centre for Drug Research (LACDR) 
• Department of Periodontology University of Oslo & Department of Medical Psychology, Bergen, Norway 
• Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biology (LCSB) 
• Luxembourg Immune Mediated Inflammatory Disease Research Association (LIMIDRA) 
• ZithaKlinik, Luxembourg 
• Proteome and Genome Research Unit, LIH. 

Jonathan
Turner

Contact

Projects & clinical trials

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics

DNA Methylation: Conducting the orchestra from exposure to phenotypes

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Metabolic Diseases

MAternal Diabetes and neuropsychiAtric vulnerability in offspring: role of DNAmethylation

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Immunological Disorders

LONG TERM IMMUNOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES IN ADVERSITY-DIVERGENT TWINS

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics

Age Acceleration and the Life Course

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Immunological Disorders

Early-life immune programming

Transversal Translational Medicine (TTM) Department of Infection and Immunity Translational Medicine Operations Hub (TMOH) Department of Precision Health Experimental and Molecular Immunology Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Deep Digital Phenotyping Research Unit Clinical and Applied Virology Covid-19 – Infectious Diseases Digital Health Clinical Research Precision Health

COvid-19 National survey for assessing Viral spread by Non-affected Carriers

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Immunological Disorders

Microbiomes in One Health

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Cancer

Epigenetic control of effector lymphocyte function

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics

The effects of childhood adversity on mental health and learning: A nationwide longitudinal project with children in alternative care in Luxembourg

Department of Precision Health Department of Infection and Immunity NutriHealth Nutrition, Microbiome and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Cardiovascular Research Unit Physical Activity, Sport and Health

Empowering Healthy Lifestyle Behaviour Through Personalized Intervention Portfolios To Prevent And Control Obesity During Vulnerable Stages Of Life

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics Immunological Disorders

NK cell senescence in adversity-divergent twins

Department of Infection and Immunity Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics

Partnership for the assessment of risks from chemicals

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View all projects on our research portal

Some of the group’s research projects include:

• EpiPath – Severe childhood adversity is thought to be one of the strongest risk factors for three major public health problems: cardiovascular disease, upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and mental health problems. The principal interface between the environment and the genome is epigenetic methylation of genomic DNA. Our working hypothesis is that early life adversity induces high-risk epigenetic modifications. A cohort of young adults that experienced poor early life conditions are currently being recruited.
• MetCOEPs -Environmentally induced epigenetic modifications are set in place many years before the associated type 2 diabetes, major depression, schizophrenia, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases becomes detectable. MetCOEPs looks at how these entirely natural modifications to our genome influence the activity of the associated genes, and the proteins they produce. Understanding this cascade of events will allow us to better understand how our environment influences our wellbeing, and to understand how these epigenetic markers can be used to identify people at risk of many diseases, allowing for suitable early interventions that reduce the eventual disease risk.
• ESPoiRe – Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment options have improved significantly over recent years, we cannot currently predict which therapeutic option would suit individual patients leading to the current “trial and error” treatment approach “testing” patients for clinical efficacy drug by drug. Preliminary evidence suggests a large role for DNA methylation in RA. Together with Luxembourg rheumatologists we will generate epigenomes from clear clinical phenotypes, and further develop the LUXIMID register together with LIMIDRA and the LCSB to improve patient stratification and treatment choice.

Featured team members

Scientific publications

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