Your immune system

Sensation: A pig’s heart was recently implanted in a human. This is also a major challenge for the patient’s immune system. After all, the immune system is an organ. The word “your” is used to refer to the individuality of this organ and to explain how the immune organ manages to carry out its functions – with examples that help to understand these processes. The lecture also takes a look at the transplanted pig heart, whose “fate” the audience should be able to explain to themselves on the basis of what they have learned.

Prof. Dr. Stefan Meuer was Managing Director of the Institute of Immunology at Heidelberg University Hospital for 26 years and co-founder of the Heidelberg Blood Donation Center. He helped to elucidate how defense cells of the immune system are activated and how they recognize antigens. His findings have been used in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and transplant rejection.

As part of the International Science Festival – Geist Heidelberg