Korea VirusResearch Institute

While our mechanistic insights are primarily rooted in sophisticated in vivo mouse models, our ultimate goal is to validate and translate these findings into the context of human health. We bridge the gap between fundamental discovery and clinical application by investigating human adaptive immunity across a spectrum of major infectious diseases, including Influenza A (IAV), HCMV, EBV, SARS-CoV-2, and VZV. By analyzing patient-derived samples and clinical cohorts, we aim to confirm that the immune strategies we identify, such as molecular mechanisms in germinal center reactions and T-cell senescence, are operative and targetable in humans.

To bridge the gap between mouse and human immunity, we focus on three strategic pillars:

• 1) Molecular Mapping of Human GC Reactions via Tonsil Organoids
• 2) Exploring the heterogeneity of virus-specific human effector/memory T cells.
• 3) Investigating the immunosenescence in virus-specific T cells in humans.