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Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Berger

Department of Clinical Research
Profiles & Affiliations

Translational Immunology: Vaccines and Autoimmunity

My research focuses on human immunology. Leveraging clinical cohorts and cutting-edge techniques, we study autoimmune diseases, the human immune response to vaccination and the safety of vaccines. The overarching aim of our research is improving Vaccines for Vulnerable Populations, such as older adults and immunocompromised individuals and find better ways to diagnose and treat autoimmune vasculitis.


The two key areas of our research includes:

Vaccination Research

  • Repeated Vaccination: using clinical cohort studies we investigate the impact of repeated vaccinations (e.g., seasonal influenza vaccination) on immune responses. We explore how repeated exposure affects B cell diversity and vaccine efficacy, aiming to improve protection against viral variants.
  • mRNA Vaccine Responses: We study how host factors modulate the immune response to mRNA COVID vaccines, to enhance vaccine efficacy.
  • Human In Vitro Vaccination Models: In the lab, we use a tonsil-based organoid model to study vaccine responses, offering a preclinical platform for testing vaccine candidates and adjuvants.
  • Vaccine Safety: We investigate rare adverse events, including vaccine-induced autoimmunity, and aim to improve safety monitoring through systems like SmartVax, a patient-centered feedback tool.


Large Vessel Vasculitis (GCA), an autoimmune/autoinflammatory disease of the large arteries

  • Molecular Immunopathogenesis: In the lab we investigates the role of T cells in autoimmunity, particularly in giant cell arteritis (GCA). By analyzing TCR repertoires and immune responses in patients, we aim to identify potential targets for novel treatments such as antigen-specific tolerance induction.
  • Clinical Biomarkers: We works on improving diagnosis and personalized treatment strategies for GCA, using biomarkers like IL-6 for monitoring disease activity and relapses. We also explore the role of imaging modalities and autoantibody profiles for better diagnostics and prognostics.

Selected Publications

Hemmig, Andrea K., Rottenburger, Christof, Baruti, Luan, Mensch, Noemi, Aschwanden, Markus, Kyburz, Diego, Pradella, Maurice, Staub, Daniel, Stegert, Mihaela, Berger, Christoph T., Imfeld, Stephan, Sommer, Gregor, & Daikeler, Thomas. (2024). Imaging to predict early relapses after treatment discontinuation in patients with large vessel giant cell arteritis – A cohort study. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semarthrit.2024.152425

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Berger, C., Bonaiti, E., Muraro, M., Robert, P., Jakscha, J., Dirnhofer, S., & Martin, I. (2023, October 20). Tonsil explants as a human in vitro model to study immune responses to vaccines [Posted-content]. Research Square Platform LLC. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3426839/v1

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Buergin, Natacha, Lopez-Ayala, Pedro, Hirsiger, Julia R., Mueller, Philip, Median, Daniela, Glarner, Noemi, Rumora, Klara, Herrmann, Timon, Koechlin, Luca, Haaf, Philip, Rentsch, Katharina, Battegay, Manuel, Banderet, Florian, Berger, Christoph T., & Mueller, Christian. (2023). Sex-specific differences in myocardial injury incidence after COVID-19 mRNA-1273 booster vaccination. European Journal of Heart Failure, 25(10), 1871–1881. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.2978

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Donners, Ricardo, Gehweiler, Julian, Kovacs, Balazs, Breit, Hanns-Christian, Daikeler, Thomas, Harder, Dorothee, & Berger, Christoph T. (2023). Chronic stage magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA). Skeletal Radiology, 52(9), 1695–1701. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-023-04334-3

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Mensch, Noemi, Hemmig, Andrea Katharina, Aschwanden, Markus, Imfeld, Stephan, Stegert, Mihaela, Recher, Mike, Staub, Daniel, Kyburz, Diego, Berger, Christoph T, & Daikeler, Thomas. (2023). Rapid glucocorticoid tapering regimen in patients with giant cell arteritis: a single centre cohort study. RMD Open, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003301

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Hemmig, Andrea K., Aschwanden, Markus, Imfeld, Stephan, Berger, Christoph T., & Daikeler, Thomas. (2023). A diagnostic performance study of the 2022 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR classification criteria for giant cell arteritis in a cohort of patients presenting with suspected giant cell arteritis. Arthritis and Rheumatology, 75(6), 1075–1077. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.42440

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Guedel DS, Peters IJ, Banderet F, Epple V, Egli S, Mehling M, Mayr M, Leeb A, & Berger CT. (2021). Smartphone-based active vaccine safety surveillance (SmartVax) at a Swiss adult vaccination clinic – a pilot study. Swiss Medical Weekly, 151(49-50), w30090. https://doi.org/10.4414/SMW.2021.W30090

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Hirsiger, Julia R., Tamborrini, Giorgio, Harder, Dorothee, Bantug, Glenn R., Hoenger, Gideon, Recher, Mike, Marx, Christian, Li, Quan-Zhen, Martin, Ivan, Hess, Christoph, Scherberich, Arnaud, Daikeler, Thomas, & Berger, Christoph T. (2021). Chronic inflammation and extracellular matrix-specific autoimmunity following inadvertent periarticular influenza vaccination. Journal of Autoimmunity, 124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102714

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Meier MA, & Berger CT. (2020). A simple clinical score to identify likely hepatitis B vaccination non-responders – data from a retrospective single center study. BMC Infectious Diseases, 20(1), 891. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-020-05634-y

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Berger CT, & Daikeler T. (2020). Longitudinal versus cross-sectional IL-6 measurements in tocilizumab-treated GCA. Response to: € Analysis of IL-6 measurement in GCA patients treated with tocilizumab should consider concomitant treatment with prednisone’ by Samson and Bonnotte. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 79(8), e103. https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215729

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Selected Projects & Collaborations

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Giant Cell Arteritis towards a molecular understanding of pathogenesis

Research Project  | 3 Project Members

Failure of the immune system to discriminate self from non-self can result in autoimmune disease. An integrative model suggests that the balance between auto-reactive T cells and so-called regulatory T cells (Tregs) dictates the likelihood to develop autoimmunity. We aim to test this hypothesis in patients with Giant cell arteritis (GCA), an autoimmune disease of the blood vessels. Both, IL-17 producing Th17 cells -that represent the prototype of auto-reactive effector T cells- and Tregs, have been linked to GCA pathogenesis. We will investigate, whether dysregulated Treg function contributes to disease pathogenesis, e.g. via insufficient suppression of auto-aggressive T-cells or by inducing a Th17 promoting cytokine milieu. Following antigenic stimulation, T effector cells expand clonally. T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing can be used to assess the clonal T cell repertoire. In chronic infections, certain cancers and autoimmune diseases, T cell clones have been identified that occur frequently and are shared between different patients affected with the same disease ('public T cell clones'). Little is known about the TCR repertoire in GCA. We hypothesize that clonally expanded T cells detect common vascular self-antigens in GCA, which should be reflected in a narrow TCR repertoire and the presence of public TCR. To test this hypothesis, we aim to define the TCR repertoire at the site of autoimmune inflammation in GCA, taking advantage of laser capture microdissection of infiltrating T cells, combined with an unbiased PCR approach. Using computational epitope prediction tools, the target antigen will then be further characterized. As a clinical application, identification of disease-specific TCR clonotypes in inflamed tissue would permit to track and characterize them in the peripheral blood, opening the possibility for highly specific biomarker-research.