We are happy to announce that a new research group is starting at Turku Bioscience. Led by Jonna Alanko, the group currently consists of three members and is already poised to make strides in their field. Their work is supported by the Research Council of Finland and the Instrumentarium Science Foundation.

We look forward to the exciting contributions this team will bring to the scientific community in the coming years! Welcome to the Turku Bioscience family, and best of luck in your future research endeavors!

Members of the Immune Cell Navigation Research Group

Group leader Dr. Jonna Alanko and group members Sanni Inkilä and Elina Nyman

Description of the Research

Our research aims to understand how immune cells – and especially dendritic cells – navigate and move according to different molecular cues in changing tissue environments.  

Gradients of extracellular signaling molecules are a fundamental concept in biology, and gradients of chemotactic cytokines, and chemokines, position cells in development, malignancy, and immunity. Chemotaxis, including gradient sensing and directional migration according to it, is especially critical for leukocytes such as the antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs), which need to be recruited within short time frames and to migrate directionally over long distances. Efficient, directional DC migration is crucial for a functioning immune system, and defects in DC navigation can lead to various autoimmune disorders. Same guidance clues have been shown to be utilized also by certain metastasizing cancers. Nevertheless, how chemokine gradients are regulated and maintained in vivo to ensure efficient leukocyte migration in changing conditions has remained somewhat of a mystery. >> Continue reading in the blog