Dr Bart Tummers is a Senior Lecturer in Inflammation Biology at King’s College London and leads the Tummers Group in the Centre for Inflammation Biology & Cancer Immunology.

His research examines how cells respond to stress and damage, with a particular focus on the molecular mechanisms that link cellular dysfunction to inflammation and regulated cell death. His laboratory combines cell biology, immunology and neurobiology to understand how disrupted cellular homeostasis contributes to inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease.

Bart has particular expertise in apoptosis, necroptosis and innate immune signalling. His work has contributed to the recognition that proteins traditionally associated with cell death also have important signalling functions in living cells. His group studies proteins including caspase-8, FADD, RIPK1 and RIPK3 to determine how they regulate inflammatory responses and cell fate independently of their roles in executing cell death.

A major focus of the laboratory is neurodegeneration. Bart investigates how disease-associated protein dysfunction, including TDP-43 pathology, alters cellular signalling in motor neurone disease, frontotemporal dementia and related disorders. His group is particularly interested in the early molecular events that occur before irreversible cellular damage. By defining these mechanisms, the group aims to identify signalling pathways that can be targeted to preserve cellular function and limit damaging inflammation.

Bart obtained his PhD with honours from Leiden University, where he studied how human papillomaviruses manipulate innate immune and cell-death pathways to evade host defence. He subsequently joined the laboratory of Professor Douglas Green at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, USA, where he investigated the relationship between regulated cell death and inflammation. In 2022, he established his independent research group at King’s College London.

Publications:

Karyoptosis mediates cell death and neurodegeneration upon proteotoxic stress.

Casterton R, Martinez-Cotrina A, Barnard J, Wycherley E, Hu Y, Anderson R, Janel S, Byun J, Houghton O, Solomon DA, Alcalde J, Lafont F, Ruepp MD, Hirth F, Tummers B, Cho YY, De Nicola G, Mizielinska S, Fanto M.Nat Commun. 2026 Jun 25;17(1):5135. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-73802-w.

Accumulation of TDP-43 causes karyopherin-α4 pathology that characterises amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Atwal MS, Nimac J, Čerček U, Goesch SR, Goesch HR, Tziortzouda P, Ercolani T, Zatorska A, Pasha T, Carre I, Mitchell J, Troakes C, Tummers B, Župunski V, Rogelj B, Hortobágyi T, Hirth F.Front Neurosci. 2025 Jul 23;19:1558227. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1558227.

FLIP_L permits apoptotic and inflammatory signaling and inhibits necroptosis in mice without Caspase-8 oligomerization.

Shaw JJP, Guy C, Tummers B, Green DR.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Apr 15;122(15):e2415992122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2415992122.

The interaction between RIPK1 and FADD controls perinatal lethality and inflammation.

Rodriguez DA, Tummers B, Shaw JJP, Quarato G, Weinlich R, Cripps J, Fitzgerald P, Janke LJ, Pelletier S, Crawford JC, Green DR.Cell Rep. 2024 Jun 25;43(6):114335. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114335.

RHIMoving fibrils of death.

Tummers B.

Cell Res. 2023 Nov;33(11):811-812. doi: 10.1038/s41422-023-00875-3.

Editorial: Cell death: from its induction to the removal of dying cells!

Tanzer MC, Tummers B, Poon IKH.

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2023 Apr 11;11:1195775. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1195775. eCollection 2023.

Mechanisms of TNF-independent RIPK3-mediated cell death.

Tummers B, Green DR.

Biochem J. 2022 Oct 14;479(19):2049-2062. doi: 10.1042/BCJ20210724.

Caspase-8 and FADD prevent spontaneous ZBP1 expression and necroptosis.

Rodriguez DA, Quarato G, Liedmann S, Tummers B, Zhang T, Guy C, Crawford JC, Palacios G, Pelletier S, Kalkavan H, Shaw JJP, Fitzgerald P, Chen MJ, Balachandran S, Green DR.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Oct 11;119(41):e2207240119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2207240119.

The evolution of regulated cell death pathways in animals and their evasion by pathogens.

Tummers B, Green DR.

Physiol Rev. 2022 Jan 1;102(1):411-454. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00002.2021.

Skin dendritic cells in melanoma are key for successful checkpoint blockade therapy.

Prokopi A, Tripp CH, Tummers B, Hornsteiner F, Spoeck S, Crawford JC, Clements DR, Efremova M, Hutter K, Bellmann L, Cappellano G, Cadilha BL, Kobold S, Boon L, Ortner D, Trajanoski Z, Chen S, de Gruijl TD, Idoyaga J, Green DR, Stoitzner P.

J Immunother Cancer. 2021 Jan;9(1):e000832. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000832.

Generation of Casp8 ^FL122/123GG Mice Using CRISPR-Cas9 Technology.

Pelletier S, Tummers B, Green DR.

STAR Protoc. 2020 Nov 25;1(3):100181. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100181.

Necroptosis restricts influenza A virus as a stand-alone cell death mechanism.

Shubina M, Tummers B, Boyd DF, Zhang T, Yin C, Gautam A, Guo XJ, Rodriguez DA, Kaiser WJ, Vogel P, Green DR, Thomas PG, Balachandran S.

J Exp Med. 2020 Nov 2;217(11):e20191259. doi: 10.1084/jem.20191259.

Caspase-8-Dependent Inflammatory Responses Are Controlled by Its Adaptor, FADD, and Necroptosis.

Tummers B, Mari L, Guy CS, Heckmann BL, Rodriguez DA, Rühl S, Moretti J, Crawford JC, Fitzgerald P, Kanneganti TD, Janke LJ, Pelletier S, Blander JM, Green DR.

Immunity. 2020 Jun 16;52(6):994-1006.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.04.010.

Influenza Virus Z-RNAs Induce ZBP1-Mediated Necroptosis.

Zhang T, Yin C, Boyd DF, Quarato G, Ingram JP, Shubina M, Ragan KB, Ishizuka T, Crawford JC, Tummers B, Rodriguez DA, Xue J, Peri S, Kaiser WJ, López CB, Xu Y, Upton JW, Thomas PG, Green DR, Balachandran S.

Cell. 2020 Mar 19;180(6):1115-1129.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.050.

ZBP1/DAI Drives RIPK3-Mediated Cell Death Induced by IFNs in the Absence of RIPK1.

Ingram JP, Thapa RJ, Fisher A, Tummers B, Zhang T, Yin C, Rodriguez DA, Guo H, Lane R, Williams R, Slifker MJ, Basagoudanavar SH, Rall GF, Dillon CP, Green DR, Kaiser WJ, Balachandran S.

J Immunol. 2019 Sep 1;203(5):1348-1355. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900216.

LC3-Associated Endocytosis Facilitates β-Amyloid Clearance and Mitigates Neurodegeneration in Murine Alzheimer's Disease.

Heckmann BL, Teubner BJW, Tummers B, Boada-Romero E, Harris L, Yang M, Guy CS, Zakharenko SS, Green DR.

Cell. 2019 Jul 25;178(3):536-551.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.056.

Caspase-8 promotes c-Rel-dependent inflammatory cytokine expression and resistance against Toxoplasma gondii.

DeLaney AA, Berry CT, Christian DA, Hart A, Bjanes E, Wynosky-Dolfi MA, Li X, Tummers B, Udalova IA, Chen YH, Hershberg U, Freedman BD, Hunter CA, Brodsky IE.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Jun 11;116(24):11926-11935. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1820529116.

Crashing the computer: apoptosis vs. necroptosis in neuroinflammation.

Heckmann BL, Tummers B, Green DR.

Cell Death Differ. 2019 Jan;26(1):41-52. doi: 10.1038/s41418-018-0195-3.

RIPped for neuroinflammation.

Tummers B, Green DR.

Cell Res. 2017 Sep;27(9):1081-1082. doi: 10.1038/cr.2017.75.

Caspase-8: regulating life and death.

Tummers B, Green DR.

Immunol Rev. 2017 May;277(1):76-89. doi: 10.1111/imr.12541.

Human Papillomavirus Downregulates the Expression of IFITM1 and RIPK3 to Escape from IFNγ- and TNFα-Mediated Antiproliferative Effects and Necroptosis.

Ma W, Tummers B, van Esch EM, Goedemans R, Melief CJ, Meyers C, Boer JM, van der Burg SH.

Front Immunol. 2016 Nov 22;7:496. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00496.

Developmental checkpoints guarded by regulated necrosis.

Dillon CP, Tummers B, Baran K, Green DR.

Cell Mol Life Sci. 2016 Jun;73(11-12):2125-36. doi: 10.1007/s00018-016-2188-z.

The interferon-related developmental regulator 1 is used by human papillomavirus to suppress NFκB activation.

Tummers B, Goedemans R, Pelascini LP, Jordanova ES, van Esch EM, Meyers C, Melief CJ, Boer JM, van der Burg SH.

Nat Commun. 2015 Mar 13;6:6537. doi: 10.1038/ncomms7537.

High-risk human papillomavirus targets crossroads in immune signaling.

Tummers B, Burg SH.

Viruses. 2015 May 21;7(5):2485-506. doi: 10.3390/v7052485.

CD40-mediated amplification of local immunity by epithelial cells is impaired by HPV.

Tummers B, Goedemans R, Jha V, Meyers C, Melief CJM, van der Burg SH, Boer JM.

J Invest Dermatol. 2014 Dec;134(12):2918-2927. doi: 10.1038/jid.2014.262.

Alterations in classical and nonclassical HLA expression in recurrent and progressive HPV-induced usual vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and implications for immunotherapy.

van Esch EM, Tummers B, Baartmans V, Osse EM, Ter Haar N, Trietsch MD, Hellebrekers BW, Holleboom CA, Nagel HT, Tan LT, Fleuren GJ, van Poelgeest MI, van der Burg SH, Jordanova ES.

Int J Cancer. 2014 Aug 15;135(4):830-42. doi: 10.1002/ijc.28713.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) upregulates the cellular deubiquitinase UCHL1 to suppress the keratinocyte's innate immune response.

Karim R, Tummers B, Meyers C, Biryukov JL, Alam S, Backendorf C, Jha V, Offringa R, van Ommen GJ, Melief CJ, Guardavaccaro D, Boer JM, van der Burg SH.

PLoS Pathog. 2013;9(5):e1003384. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003384.

Chemotherapy alters monocyte differentiation to favor generation of cancer-supporting M2 macrophages in the tumor microenvironment.

Dijkgraaf EM, Heusinkveld M, Tummers B, Vogelpoel LT, Goedemans R, Jha V, Nortier JW, Welters MJ, Kroep JR, van der Burg SH.

Cancer Res. 2013 Apr 15;73(8):2480-92. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-12-3542.

The development of standard samples with a defined number of antigen-specific T cells to harmonize T cell assays: a proof-of-principle study.

Singh SK, Tummers B, Schumacher TN, Gomez R, Franken KL, Verdegaal EM, Laske K, Gouttefangeas C, Ottensmeier C, Welters MJ, Britten CM, van der Burg SH.

Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2013 Mar;62(3):489-501. doi: 10.1007/s00262-012-1351-0.