Prof. Dr. Carlos Silvestre-Roig

Fundaments of the origin, mechanisms, and functional consequences of neutrophil heterogeneity

 

A. Single cell transcriptomics of neutrophil states across maturation. B. Confocal immunofluorescence image showing a neutrophil releasing a neutrophil extracellular trap in the vicinity of smooth muscle cells. Red: Membrane (Phalloidin). White: chromatin (DAPI). Green: histone H4.
© Carlos Silvestre-Roig

Immunology 
Inflammation  
Vascular Biology/Angiogenesis
Neutrophil biology         

 

The traditional perception of neutrophils as a short-lived homogenous population with antimicrobial properties and limited transcriptional activity has been challenged by accumulating evidence over the last decade. Neutrophil functional ‘states’ are described in homeostasis and disease and illustrate previously unknown functional plasticity. Yet, the origin of such neutrophil diversification and the physiological and pathological consequences of it remain to be clarified.
Our research focus is centered on understanding the origin, mechanisms, and consequences of neutrophil functional diversity in the context of acute and chronic vascular inflammatory diseases. The line of research is founded on the identification of cellular (ontogeny, maturation) and molecular (microbial, metabolic) mediators contributing to neutrophil heterogeneity and the understanding of its significance in the context of inflammation. Importantly, attempts to therapeutically target neutrophil-driven pathologies using depletion or blocking recruitment strategies have failed to be translated into the clinic, in part due to the secondary impact on their antimicrobial functions. Here, understanding neutrophil heterogeneity might be exploited to design refined therapeutic strategies to specifically target pathogenic subpopulations to prevent neutrophil-driven immunopathologies without altering host defense. To achieve these goals, we employ state-of-the-art techniques including spectral flow cytometry, multiplexed immunofluorescence, in vivo imaging, or single-cell epigenomics.

 

Prof. Dr. Carlos Silvestre-Roig
Prof. Dr. Carlos Silvestre-Roig
University of Münster
Institute for Experimental Pathology
Von-Esmarch-Str. 56
48149 Münster
T: +49 (0) 251- 83 - 53068
silvestre.roig@uni-muenster.de

Vita

  • 09/2001 - 09/2006       Biology, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

  • 12/2009                           Master’s degree. Universidad de Valencia, Spain

  • 09/2007 - 01/2013       PhD student, Inst Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia (Spain) and
                                                Spanish National Cardiovascular Research Center (CNIC), Madrid (Spain)

  • 02/2013 - 10/2015       Postdoc, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  • 11/2015 - 02/2021       Postdoc, Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), LMU Munich

  • 03/2021 – 02/2022      Group leader, Institute of Experimental Pathology, University of Münster

  • 03/2022- Present           Professor for Vascular Immunology, Institute of Experimental Pathology,
                                                University of Münster

 

Selected references

Hidalgo A, Libby P, Soehnlein O, Aramburu IV, Papayannopoulos V, Silvestre-Roig C. (2022). Neutrophil extracellular traps: from physiology to pathology. Cardiovasc Res. Oct 21;118(13):2737-2753

Silvestre-Roig C, Lemnitzer P., Gall J., Schwager S., Toska A., Yvan-Charvet L., Detmar M., Soehnlein O. (2021). Arterial Delivery of VEGF-C Stabilizes Atherosclerotic Lesions. Circ Res. Jan 22;128(2):284-286.

Silvestre-Roig C*, Fridlender Z.G*., Glogauer M, and Scapini P. (2019). Neutrophil diversity in health and disease. Trends Immunology. Jul;40(7):565-583. * equal contribution

Silvestre-Roig C*, Braster Q*, Wichapong K, Lee EY, Teulon JM, Berrebeh J, Winter J, Froese A, Adrover JM, Santiago Santos G, Froese A, Lemnitzer P, Ortega-Gómez A, Chevre C, Marschner J, Schumski A, Winter C, Perez-olivares L, Pan C, Paulin N, Schoufour T, Hartwig H, González Ramos S, Kamp F, Megens RTA, Mowen KA, Gunzer M, Maegdefessel L, Hackeng T, Lutgens E, Daemen M, von Blume J, Anders HJ, Nikolaev VO, Pellequer JL, Weber C, Hidalgo A, Nicolaes G, Wong GCL, Soehnlein O. Externalized histone H4 orchestrates chronic inflammation by inducing lytic cell death. (2019). Nature. May;569(7755):236-240. * equal contribution

Silvestre-Roig C, Hidalgo A, Soehnlein O. Neutrophil heterogeneity: implications for homeostasis and pathogenesis. (2016). Blood. May 5;127(18):2173-81.

 

Links

Silvestre-Roig Lab