- Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Christoph Ellebrecht is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, where he leads a translational laboratory focused on antigen-specific cellular therapies for B cell–mediated autoimmune disease. He received his MD in Germany and completed postdoctoral training at Penn, where he co-developed the Chimeric Autoantibody Receptor (CAAR) T cell platform that has since become a central paradigm for precision immunotherapy in autoimmunity.
The Ellebrecht laboratory studies the molecular basis of pemphigus vulgaris and other antibody-mediated dermatologic diseases, with particular focus on engineering T cells that selectively eliminate pathogenic, autoantigen-specific B cells while preserving protective humoral immunity. His group has made fundamental contributions to understanding asymmetric T cell division in adoptive cellular therapy products, with recent work published in Nature opening new avenues for optimizing the next generation of engineered cell therapies.
The CAAR platform pioneered in his work forms the scientific foundation for Cabaletta Bio’s DSG3-CAART clinical program — the first cell therapy advancing in pemphigus — and Dr. Ellebrecht is a key scientific contributor to academia–industry partnerships in autoimmunity. He is an active member of the Penn Colton Center, the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, and the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, where he helps anchor Penn’s leadership in cell therapy for autoimmune disease.
