Marta Rizzi takes over Chair in Clinical Experimental Immunology

Marta Rizzi took over the Chair in Clinical Experimental Immunology (§98) at MedUni Vienna at the beginning of June. The expert on human B-cell lymphocytes comes to Vienna from University Hospital Freiburg. Marta Rizzi is an expert in human B-cell lymphocyte development, activation both in physiological and disease context. B lymphocytes are an essential component of adaptive immunity; they produce antibodies but can also present antigens to T cells and contribute to inflammation by secreting cytokines. Disturbed B-cell function can contribute to disease in different ways. When tolerance is broken, B cells produce autoantibodies that can result in autoimmunity. A defect in early B-cell development can lead to immunodeficiency.