Research group Vivianne Malmström
Our overall aim is to identify critical immune reactions involved in development and perpetuation of rheumatic disease. We focus on both T and B cells and methods enabling the possibility to monitor immune responses in patient-derived research samples.
In the longer perspective the data we generate can contribute to new therapeutic (curative or preventive) approaches beyond general immunosuppression, e.g. by antigen-specific tolerization or selective targeting of T cell clones etc.
Autoimmunity and adaptive immunity in rheumatic disease
We are experts on adaptive immunity and study specific immune reactions in patient-derived research samples. The diseases under investigation include rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ANCA-associated vasculitis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (myositis), Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Many of these rheumatic diseases are characterized by a strong genetic association to genes in the HLA locus and to autoantibodies, which is the reason for our strong focus on B and T cells.
By close collaboration with clinician scientists and the rheumatology clinics at both K and ASC (Akademiskt Specialist Centrum) we have the unique possibility of studying immune reactions in well-characterized clinical material both with regard to time points (often longitudinal) in the disease process as well as with regard to tissue compartments (allowing e.g. comparison between site of inflammation and peripheral blood). We do deep immune profiling of lymphocyte phenotypes as well as receptor repertoire analyses of both B and T cells.
Ongoing research
- Immune monitoring of autoreactive T cells in the periphery of RA patients and in individuals at risk of developing RA.
- Immune profiling of autoreactive B cells in RA at different disease stages and in different tissues.
- B cell immune profiling in blood and kidney in lupus nephritis, including dsDNA-reactivity.
- BCR and TCR repertoires of autoreactive lymphocytes in RA, AAV, IIM and SLE.
- T cell immune profiling in RA and PsA in blood and in the joint.
- Studies of lymphocyte changes following DMARD therapy.
- Multi-parameter flow and spectral flow cytometry.
- Single cell sequencing.
- In vitro lymphocyte assays e.g. fluorospots.
- Multi-parameter tissue stainings.
- Protein chemistry and structural biology.
- Bioinformatic analyses.
Group members
Vivianne Malmström
Professor/Research group leaderAlexandra Argyriou, PhD student.
Karine Chemin, Docent, researcher.
Anatoly Dubnovitsky, PhD, lab manager.
Uta Hardt, PhD student.
Ravi Kumar Sharma, Post doc.
Sara Turcinov, MD, PhD student.
Annika van Vollenhoven, staff engineer.
Cooperations
We are experts in many facets of adaptive immunology but still collaborate extensively in order to do the best possible science out of the clinical samples we study. E.g. we collaborate within the division of rheumatology with:
Research group of:
Research teams of:
In addition, we have a strong network in Europe via the IMI-program RTCure.org.
Research support
We have ongoing grants from the
- Swedish research council.
- Gustav den V:s 80-year foundation.
- The Swedish rheumatology association.
Selected publications
Recognition of Amino Acid Motifs, Rather Than Specific Proteins, by Human Plasma Cell-Derived Monoclonal Antibodies to Posttranslationally Modified Proteins in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Steen J, Forsström B, Sahlström P, Odowd V, Israelsson L, Krishnamurthy A, Badreh S, Mathsson Alm L, Compson J, Ramsköld D, Ndlovu W, Rapecki S, Hansson M, Titcombe PJ, Bang H, Mueller DL, Catrina AI, Grönwall C, Skriner K, Nilsson P, Lightwood D, Klareskog L, Malmström V
Arthritis Rheumatol 2019 02;71(2):196-209
Rituximab in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Transient Effects on Autoimmunity Associated Lymphocyte Phenotypes and Implications for Immunogenicity.
Faustini F, Sippl N, Stålesen R, Chemin K, Dunn N, Fogdell-Hahn A, Gunnarsson I, Malmström V
Front Immunol 2022 ;13():826152
Biased TCR gene usage in citrullinated Tenascin C specific T-cells in rheumatoid arthritis.
Sharma RK, Boddul SV, Yoosuf N, Turcinov S, Dubnovitsky A, Kozhukh G, Wermeling F, Kwok WW, Klareskog L, Malmström V
Sci Rep 2021 12;11(1):24512
Multi-HLA class II tetramer analyses of citrulline-reactive T cells and early treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis.
Gerstner C, Turcinov S, Hensvold AH, Chemin K, Uchtenhagen H, Ramwadhdoebe TH, Dubnovitsky A, Kozhukh G, Rönnblom L, Kwok WW, Achour A, Catrina AI, van Baarsen LGM, Malmström V
BMC Immunol 2020 05;21(1):27
Effector Functions of CD4+ T Cells at the Site of Local Autoimmune Inflammation-Lessons From Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Chemin K, Gerstner C, Malmström V
Front Immunol 2019 ;10():353
Exploring inflammatory signatures in arthritic joint biopsies with Spatial Transcriptomics.
Carlberg K, Korotkova M, Larsson L, Catrina AI, Ståhl PL, Malmström V
Sci Rep 2019 12;9(1):18975
Proinflammatory Histidyl-Transfer RNA Synthetase-Specific CD4+ T Cells in the Blood and Lungs of Patients With Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies.
Galindo-Feria AS, Albrecht I, Fernandes-Cerqueira C, Notarnicola A, James EA, Herrath J, Dastmalchi M, Sandalova T, Rönnblom L, Jakobsson PJ, Fathi M, Achour A, Grunewald J, Malmström V, Lundberg IE
Arthritis Rheumatol 2020 01;72(1):179-191
Mechanisms leading from systemic autoimmunity to joint-specific disease in rheumatoid arthritis.
Catrina AI, Svensson CI, Malmström V, Schett G, Klareskog L
Nat Rev Rheumatol 2017 Feb;13(2):79-86