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Translational immunology group
Leaders
Translational immunology group
Our translational research focuses on understanding the fuction of the human immune system in health and disease. Our current research focuses on two major autoimmune diseases, type 1 diabetes and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. By analyzing clinical samples, our aim is to better understand the immunopathogenesis of these diseases. This knowledge, in turn, could be used in the development of better biomarkers for diagnostics as well as novel immunomodulatory treatments to treat and prevent autoimmune diseases.
Our Twitter handle is @kinnunenlab.
Activities in the research group
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1) Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that leads to the destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. T1D is one of the most common autoimmune diseases, especially in Finland where its incidence is the highest in the world (around 1 in 100 children). T1D develops as a consequence of a combined effect of complex genetic predisposition and largely unknown environmental factors, and is preceded by a preclinical phase during which autoantibodies to islet autoantigens can be detected in blood.
In collaboration with the national DIPP study (http://dipp.utu.fi) and Turku University Hospital, we study immunological factors that lead from genetic susceptibility to autoimmunity and clinical disease. For this, we analyze blood samples collected from children with T1D, autoantibody-positive at-risk children as well as age-matched healthy control children.
2) Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an autoimmune disease defined as a chronic arthritis of unknown origin beginning during childhood (around 1 in 500 children). It is not a single disease, but rather a heterogenous entity of conditions involving a spectrum of clinical findings. Similar to T1D, both genetic and environmental factors contribute to disease development.
In collaboration with pediatricians in Kuopio, Oulu and Turku University Hospitals we aim to understand the immunopathogenesis and heterogeneity of JIA better. For this, we collect blood and synovial fluid samples from children with established JIA.
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We study different immune cell subsets in clinical samples (blood and synovial fluid) with modern single cell methodology, in particular multiparameter flow cytometry and scRNA-seq approaches.
The key instruments used in the laboratory:
– 4-laser Novocyte Quanteon flow cytometer for multiparameter flow cytometry
– BD Rhapsody Single-Cell Analysis system for single-cell multiomics
– BD FACSAria III cell sorter for immune cell purification -
- Emmi-Leena Ihantola, 2021
Link to thesis: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-61-3723-0
- Emmi-Leena Ihantola, 2021
Collaboration and Funding
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- DIPP study https://dipp.utu.fi/
- Johanna Lempainen, TYKS
- Reeta Rintamäki, KUH
- Liisa Kröger, KUH
- Paula Vähäsalo, OUH
- Milja Möttönen, and Minna-Maija Grönlund, TYKS
- Cell and Tissue Imaging Unit, UEF https://uefconnect.uef.fi/en/group/cell-and-tissue-imaging-unit/
- Single Cell Genomics Core , UEF https://uefconnect.uef.fi/en/group/single-cell-genomics-core/
- DIPP study https://dipp.utu.fi/
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Academy of Finland
Sigrid Juselius Foundation
Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation
Foundation for Pediatric Research
The Diabetes Research Foundation
Helmsley Charitable Trust
Keywords
Leaders
Senior Researchers
Post-doctoral Researchers
Doctoral Researchers
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Anna-Mari Schroderus
University TeacherInstitute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences -
Viola Pitkänen
Doctoral ResearcherInstitute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences -
Lucas Nygård
Doctoral ResearcherInstitute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences -
Bella Lappalainen
Doctoral Researcher
Technicians
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Mirja Saarelainen
Senior Laboratory TechnicianInstitute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences -
Hanna Eskelinen
Senior Laboratory TechnicianInstitute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences
Other group members
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Lab alumni: Emmi-Leena Ihantola
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Lab alumni: Céline Vandamme
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Lab alumni: Ahmad Gazali
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Lab alumni: Tyyne Viisanen
Publications
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Temporal Alterations in CD8+ T Cells During the Progression from Stage 1 to Stage 3 Type 1 Diabetes
Schroderus, Anna-Mari; Pitkänen, Viola; Ekman, Ilse; Stevens, Daniella; Rytkönen-Nissinen, Marja; Rintamäki, Reeta; Pihlajamäki, Jussi; Knip, Mikael; Veijola, Riitta; Toppari, Jorma; Ilonen, Jorma; Lempainen, Johanna; Kinnunen, Tuure. 2024. Diabetes. [Epub ahead of print 5 July 2024]: . db240159 -
Evaluation of plasma IL-21 as a potential biomarker for type 1 diabetes progression
Schroderus, Anna-Mari; Poorbaugh, Josh; McElyea, Samantha; Beasley, Stephanie; Zhang, Lin; Näntö-Salonen, Kirsti; Rintamäki, Reeta; Pihlajamäki, Jussi; Knip, Mikael; Veijola, Riitta; Toppari, Jorma; Ilonen, Jorma; Benschop, Robert J; Kinnunen, Tuure. 2023. Frontiers in immunology. 14: . 1157265 -
Single-cell characterization of dog allergen–specific T cells reveals TH2 heterogeneity in allergic individuals
Vandamme, C; Rytkönen-Nissinen, M; Lönnberg, T; Randell, J; Harvima RJ; Kinnunen, T; Virtanen, T. 2022. Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 149: 1732-1743.e15 -
B-cell helper T cells and type 1 diabetes
Vandamme, Céline; Kinnunen, Tuure. 2020. Scandinavian journal of immunology. 92: e12943 -
Characterization of Proinsulin T Cell Epitopes Restricted by Type 1 Diabetes-Associated HLA Class II Molecules
Ihantola, Emmi-Leena; Ilmonen, Henna; Kailaanmäki, Anssi; Rytkönen-Nissinen, Marja; Azam, Aurélien; Maillère, Bernard; Lindestam Arlehamn, Cecilia; Sette, Alessandro; Motwani, Keshav; Seay, Howard; Brusko, Todd; Knip, Mikael; Veijola, Riitta; Toppari, Jorma; Ilonen, Jorma; Kinnunen, Tuure. 2020. Journal of immunology. 204: 2349-2359 -
Mucosal-associated invariant T cell alterations during the development of human type 1 diabetes
Gazali, Ahmad M; Schroderus, Anna-Mari; Näntö-Salonen, Kirsti; Rintamäki, Reeta; Pihlajamäki, Jussi; Knip, Mikael; Veijola, Riitta; Toppari, Jorma; Ilonen, Jorma; Kinnunen, Tuure. 2020. Diabetologia. 63: 2396-2409 -
Circulating CXCR5¯PD-1hi peripheral T helper cells are associated with progression to type 1 diabetes
Ekman, I; Ihantola, EL; Viisanen, T; Rao, DA; Näntö-Salonen, K; Knip, M; Veijola, R; Toppari, J; Ilonen, J; Kinnunen, T. 2019. Diabetologia. 62: 1681-1688 -
FOXP3+ Regulatory T Cell Compartment Is Altered in Children With Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes but Not in Autoantibody-Positive at-Risk Children
Viisanen, T; Gazali, AM; Ihantola, EL; Ekman, I; Näntö-Salonen, K; Veijola, R; Toppari, J; Knip, M; Ilonen, J; Kinnunen, T. 2019. Frontiers in immunology. 10: 19 -
Type 1 diabetes linked PTPN22 gene polymorphism is associated with the frequency of circulating regulatory T cells
Valta, Milla; Gazali, Ahmad Mahfuz; Viisanen, Tyyne; Ihantola, Emmi-Leena; Ekman, Ilse; Toppari, Jorma; Knip, Mikael; Veijola, Riitta; Ilonen, Jorma; Lempainen, Johanna; Kinnunen, Tuure. 2019. European journal of immunology. 2020; 50: 581-588 -
Early childhood CMV infection may decelerate the progression to clinical type 1 diabetes
Ekman, Ilse; Vuorinen, Tytti; Knip, Mikael; Veijola, Riitta; Toppari, Jorma; Hyöty, Heikki; Kinnunen, Tuure; Ilonen, Jorma; Lempainen, Johanna. 2018. Pediatric diabetes. 2019; 20: 73-77