Scientific Focus

Prof. Dr. med. vet. Jennifer Hundt completed her thesis for veterinary medicine at the Veterinary School of Hanover in 2008. Until 2013 her research focused on hair follicle biology.
Since then she continues her research in experimental dermatology, focusing on in vivo imaging of inflammatory processes.

For more details, please see the short CV, Research Gate and Loop.

The research group is working on the visualization of inflammatory processes in the skin. In general, this includes the morphological assessment and the histopathological evaluation of skin human and murine skin as well as its skin appendages by means of imaging techniques. Skin organ cultures, organotypic cultures and animal models are used experimentally.

The visualization of the pathogenesis of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) in particular is of special interest, as the interaction of cells and molecules involved in the autoantibody-mediated tissue damage in space and time has not yet been clarified. These complex interactions can be visualized in vivo in an animal model using 2-photon microscopy. In order to develop new targeted therapeutic procedures for EBA, it is necessary to have a precise understanding of these complex interactions between autoantibodies, complement, neutrophilic granulocytes and the vascular endothelium. These factors in interaction ultimately lead to tissue damage.

This work is carried out in close collaboration with the Institute for Biomedical Optics (Huber lab) within the University of Lübeck. Together, we also employ optical coherence tomography in patients and skin and wound healing culture systems to elucidate the pathomechanism of inflammatory processes and various skin disorders.