Our research team focuses on the role of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in several immune cell types. The UPR is an adaptive cellular response that is initiated upon accumulation of improperly folded proteins in the ER. Its main function is to restore ER homeostasis and to keep cells alive under conditions of ER stress. Recent work from our group and others has shown that the UPR is an important component in the functioning of the immune system. In CD8α conventional dendritic cells (DCs) the UPR sensor IRE-1α and its downstream transcription factor XBP-1s is constitutively active and deficiency of XBP-1s leads to defects in crosspresentation of dead cell-derived antigens. Future work aims to unravel how different branches of the UPR are regulated in different DC subsets and how they contribute to their basic functions. To address this, we combine cell biology, molecular biology and mouse immunology expertise.