Saskia Hemmers
Assistant Professor in Immunology
What is so special about early perinatal life? It is a period of rapid growth, high cell turnover and major tissue remodeling. This coincides with the rapid seeding and expansion of T cells in secondary lymphoid organs and tissues. We have evidence that perinatally derived regulatory T cells occupy specialized niches that are established early in life and persist into adulthood, and we propose that they serve specialized tissue-supportive functions that cannot be easily replaced by their adult-derived counterparts. Therefore, disruption of this early life niche formation by infection might lead to an irreplaceable loss of those cells and might increase the susceptibility of the animal to severe end organ damage in adulthood.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
- Assistant Professor in Immunology, Immunology, Basic Science Departments 2022
- Member of the Duke Cancer Institute, Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers 2022
Contact Information
- 207 Research Drive, Box 3010, Durham, NC 27710
- 207 Research Drive, Room 112, Durham, NC 27710
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saskia.hemmers@duke.edu
(919) 613-9579
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