Research Focus

Immunology & Infectious Diseases

Area of Research

Viral and fungal infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. Evaluation of new immune biomarkers and new immunotherapeutic strategies

Approved Research Projects

08/2023 – 07/2026 Retrospective Cohort Study of IFI and bacterial infections in AML and MDS patients.
08/2023 – 12/2024 "Incidence of fungal, bacterial and viral infections in patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome receiving venetoclax and hypomethylating agents: a multi-center retrospective cohort study". Fungal Infection Network of Switzerland (FUNGINOS)
11/2022 – 10/2024 Optimizing COVID-19 Antiviral Therapy (OPTICOV).
05/2022 – 04/2024 «Third-Party Donor Registry for Personalized antiviral T-cell Immunotherapeutics.
10/2021 – 09/2026 «Innovation Focus Cell Therapies». Establishment of a national and international competence centre for cell therapy (Cell Therapy Cluster) to attract and treat patients with therapy-refractory tumours, transplant complications, difficult-to-treat infections and to work towards establishing kidney transplant tolerance.
10/2021 – 09/2025 Epstein-Barr Virus-specific T Memory Stem Cell Therapy to Treat EBV-driven Lymphomas/Diseases» First trial using adoptive transfer of antigen-specific T memory stem cells for EBV-specific T-cell therapy; providing insights into fate of these cells after infusion into patients.
08/2020 – 07/2024 NCCR AntiResist: New Approaches to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria». To find new antibiotics and develop alternative strategies to combat bacteria by linking basic research directly with clinical research.
06/2019 – 05/2023 Epidemiology and outcome of fungemia in Switzerland.
05/2019 – 11/2021 PK evaluation of Debio 1450 against 24-h biofilm in mouse tissue cage model (combination with: nafcillin, cefazolin, clindamycin, linezolid).
06/2018 – 11/2022 Using Genetic Risk Factors to Stratify Antifungal Prophylaxis in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
2018 Immunological and genetic risk factors for invasive fungal infections in allogeneic HSCT patients from the STCS.
05/2018 – 03/2022 Candidemia 2004 – 2018: Candida epidemiology over 15 years.
03/2018 – 12/2021 Surveillance of azole-resistant Aspergillus in Switzerland.
06/2018 – 05/2021 A Phase I/II single-center study to assess safety and feasibility of virus-specific T cells of 3rd party donors in patients with treatment-refractory viral infections.
02/2017 – 01/2018 Immune-metabolic changes in neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes in patients suffering from gram-negative sepsis.
02/2016 – 12/2021 Changes of mold-specific T cells and NK cells and impact of polymorphisms in T-helper 1 Cytokines and Natural Killer (NK) genes on the Development and Outcome of Invasive Mold Infections in Patients after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.
03/2014 – 07/2014 Resistance Development to Silver in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.
08/2013 – 07/2015 HIT to LEAD to preclinical candidate development of a transcription repressor inhibitory compound (TRIC) that increase antibiotic susceptibility of multidrug resistant staphylococci.
01/2013 – 12/2016 Relevance of different CD4+ T cell subsets for antifungal defense. What is aberrant in immunocompromised patients?
09/2012 – 08/2013 Determination of Antigens for Adoptive T-cell Therapy for Epstein Barr Virus Infections after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.
04/2012 – 03/2012 Interplay of different Candida-specific T helper subsets in HIV-infected Patients.
04/2010 – 10/2010 Immunity to Aspergillus fumigatus in Healthy Donors.
11/2010 – 10/2011 Adaptive Immunity to Aspergillus fumigatus in Healthy Donors and in Patients after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.
04/2008 – 03/2009 Immunity to Aspergillus fumigatus and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and generation of a combined Aspergillus- and CMV-specific dendritic cell vaccination.
2007 Swiss HIV Cohort Study: JC and BK specific T-cells in HIV-infected Individuals with Progressive Multifocal Leucencephalopathy.
04/2006 – 03/2007 Defining Polyomavirus JC and BK infection and disease in HIV-infected individuals.
2006 Swiss HIV Cohort Study: JC virus viremia in SHCS: subsequent development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
2003 Swiss HIV Cohort Study: Effect of antiretroviral treatment changes on long-term CD4 T-cell response in HIV-1 infected patients.
2002 Neuartige Aspekte hinsichtlich der Auswirkung von Therapiewechseln bei virologisch supprimierten HIV-infizierten Patienten.

Collaborations

National Collaborations

2020 – present: Scientific Programme Committee Challenge in Infectious Diseases
2019 – present: Scientifc Programme Commitee Swiss Society for Infectious Diseases (SSI) Joint Annual Meeting, SSI Board
2017 – present: Swisstransplant Arbeitsgruppe Infektiologie (STAI), representative from the USB
2016 – present: Member of the Prize Committee of the Swiss Society for Infectious Diseases
2010 – present: Fungal Infection Network of Switzerland (FUNGINOS); President since 2021
2008 – present: Infectious Diseases Working Group, Swiss Transplant cohort Study (STCS)
2008 – present: Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Infektiologie (SGINF)
2001 – present: Schweizerische Medizinische Gesellschaft (FMH)

International Collaborations

2022 – present: ECCMID Programme Committee
2021 – present: EMCTG (European Mycology Clinical trials Group) – Working group for clinical trials in Medical Mycology
2018 – present: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Infektionen in der Hämatologie und Onkologie (AGIHO) der DGHO
2018 – present: ESCMID Study Group for Immunocompromised Hosts
2018 – present: ESCMID Fungal Infection Study Group
2013 – present: European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)

Ongoing Research Projects

08/2023 – 07/2026 Retrospective Cohort Study of IFI and bacterial infections in AML and MDS patients.
08/2023 – 12/2024 "Incidence of fungal, bacterial and viral infections in patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome receiving venetoclax and hypomethylating agents: a multi-center retrospective cohort study". Fungal Infection Network of Switzerland (FUNGINOS)
11/2022 – 10/2024 Optimizing COVID-19 Antiviral Therapy (OPTICOV).
05/2022 – 04/2024 «Third-Party Donor Registry for Personalized antiviral T-cell Immunotherapeutics.
10/2021 – 09/2026 «Innovation Focus Cell Therapies». Establishment of a national and international competence centre for cell therapy (Cell Therapy Cluster) to attract and treat patients with therapy-refractory tumours, transplant complications, difficult-to-treat infections and to work towards establishing kidney transplant tolerance.
10/2021 – 09/2025 Epstein-Barr Virus-specific T Memory Stem Cell Therapy to Treat EBV-driven Lymphomas/Diseases» First trial using adoptive transfer of antigen-specific T memory stem cells for EBV-specific T-cell therapy; providing insights into fate of these cells after infusion into patients.
08/2020 – 07/2024 NCCR AntiResist: New Approaches to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria». To find new antibiotics and develop alternative strategies to combat bacteria by linking basic research directly with clinical research.

[FG] Khanna Gremmelmeier Nina

Head of Research Unit

Prof. Dr. med. Nina Khanna

Projects & Collaborations