Immunosensation.de

Prof. Achim Hörauf, MD

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn,
Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology
E-mail:
Research Expertise
Professor Hörauf is internationally renowned for his work in Tropical Medicine, specifically, for pioneering a new drug treatment for filariasis (a group of neglected tropical diseases). The new treatment exploits an endosymbiosis between the worms and bacterial endosymbionts called Wolbachia, which are susceptible to some classes of antibiotic. Prof. Hörauf’s group was the first to characterize a TLR2 ligand from Wolbachia, and established that blindness brought about by filarial antigens as the worm larvae migrate into the eye in onchocerciasis (or “river blindness”) is dependent on Wolbachia, and again mediated by the innate immune system. Prof. Hörauf’s second focus is in the field of infection immunity, where his group were the first to detect regulatory T cells in humans in an infection. Education / Training
University, USA and Galaway University, Ireland Appointments / Positions Held
2003 - present Full Professor and Director, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology Bernard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Germany Bernard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Germany Fellow, Institute for Clinical Microbiology, Honors / Awards
President of the Paul Ehrlich Society for Chemotherapy e.V. Coordinator for the partner BonnCologne, Dt. Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF) – German Center for Infectious Disease. Main annual award, German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM) Martini-Prize (bi-annual) for best clinical research of the University Clinic Eppendorf/Hamburg Main bi-annual award, German Society for Tropical Medicine (DTG) Recipient of the “Bavarian Gifted Scholarship” 10 most relevant publications by Prof. Achim Hörauf in the last years

1.
Mand S, Debrah AY, Klarmann U, Batsa L, Marfo-Debrekyei Y, Kwarteng A, Specht
S, Belda-Domene A, Fimmers R, Taylor M, Adjei O, Hoerauf A. 2012. Doxycycline
improves filarial lymphedema independent of active filarial infection: a randomized
controlled trial. Clin Infect Dis. 55:621-30.
Specht S, Frank JK, Alferink J, Dubben B, Layland LE, Denece G, Bain O, Förster I, Kirschning CJ, Martin C, Hoerauf A. 2011. CCL17 controls mast cells for the defense against filarial larval entry. J Immunol 186:4845-52 Taylor M, Hoerauf A, Bockarie M. 2010. Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. Lancet 376: 1175-85 Hoerauf A. 2009. Mansonella perstans--the importance of an endosymbiont. N Engl J Med 361: 1502-4 Specht S, Hoerauf A. 2007. Does helminth elimination promote or prevent malaria? Lancet 369: 446-7 Taylor MJ, Makunde WH, McGarry HF, Turner JD, Mand S, Hoerauf A. 2005. Macrofilaricidal activity after doxycycline treatment of Wuchereria bancrofti: a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 365: 2116-21 Brattig NW, Bazzocchi C, Kirschning CJ, Reiling N, Buttner DW, Ceciliani F, Geisinger F, Hochrein H, Ernst M, Wagner H, Bandi C, Hoerauf A. 2004. The major surface protein of Wolbachia endosymbionts in filarial nematodes elicits immune responses through TLR2 and TLR4. J Immunol 173: 437-45 Saint Andre A, Blackwell NM, Hall LR, Hoerauf A, Brattig NW, Volkmann L, Taylor MJ, Ford L, Hise AG, Lass JH, Diaconu E, Pearlman E. 2002. The role of endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria in the pathogenesis of river blindness. Science 295: 1892-5 Hoerauf A, Mand S, Adjei O, Fleischer B, Buttner DW. 2001. Depletion of wolbachia endobacteria in Onchocerca volvulus by doxycycline and microfilaridermia after ivermectin treatment. Lancet 357: 1415-6 Hoerauf A, Volkmann L, Hamelmann C, Adjei O, Autenrieth IB, Fleischer B, Buttner DW. 2000. Endosymbiotic bacteria in worms as targets for a novel chemotherapy in filariasis. Lancet 355: 1242-3

Source: http://immunosensation.de/uploads/tx_blackseamembers/Bio_Hoerauf.pdf