# ResearchIlluminating the immune response to aberrant DNA

**Source**: https://www.bio.uni-heidelberg.de/en/newsroom/illuminating-the-immune-response-to-aberrant-dna
**Parent**: https://www.bio.uni-heidelberg.de/en/news

# Research  Illuminating the immune response to aberrant DNA

## Developing a novel fluorescent biosensor

Our cells harbour a DNA detector termed cGAS to inform the immune system of viral and bacterial infections, cell death, as well as transformation during cancer. Downregulation of these processes underlies immune evasion, while their aberrant upregulation is associated with auto-immune diseases. Researchers led by Prof. Dr. Sergio P. Acebrón bioengineered this conserved cellular process into a novel fluorescent biosensor that quickly responds to cGAS activity in affected, as well as in neighboring cells. The study, published in the flagship EMBO Journal, provides a multi-use biomedical tool to visualize the innate immune response to aberrant DNA across cell populations.

- [Link to the paper](https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1038/s44318-025-00370-y)
- [Link to the Acebron lab](https://acebronlab.org/)

A cell harbouring aberrant DNA (Magenta) is sensed by the neighbouring cells through the activation of a novel biosensor (Yellow). Cells are shown in grey and their nuclei in cyan.

[Deutsch](https://www.bio.uni-heidelberg.de/de/node/580)[Contact](https://www.bio.uni-heidelberg.de/en/newsroom/illuminating-the-immune-response-to-aberrant-dna?overlay=contact)