TRR 22:  Pulmonary Allergies

Subject Area Medicine
Biology
Term from 2005 to 2014
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5486276
 

Project Description

During the last decades, allergies have emerged as a group of major diseases with bronchial asthma as the most severe manifestation at the respiratory tract. Although allergies have a marked socio-economic impact, the pathophysiology is still purely understood. There is no causal therapy available, prevention and prediction are still insufficient. It is the aim of this Transregional Collaborative Research Centre to tackle these problems and, eventually, to develop new therapeutic and preventive strategies for allergic disease based on the development of a better understanding of the pathophysiology due to the concerted action of this consortium.
During the last years, the regulation of the allergen-specific immune response has been the focus of many research activities. This has led to a better understanding of the contribution of T-cell subsets and the regulation of IgE-production as an important effector mechanism. However, the process from initiation to chronification is still purely understood. Respiratory epithelium has not only a barrier function, but seems to contribute to the pathogenesis via immuno-modulatory effector mechanism. In this context, the epithelium is the first cell-type which primarily interacts with inhaled allergens and microbial components of the environment. Particularly this chronic microbial exposure (e.g. via inhalation) has been claimed to have important priming effects on immune responses against allergens. As an example, lipopolysaccacharides (LPS) have been best examined in this regard. However, endotoxins are only a model antigen in this context which can have such a protective effect. In addition to such environmental components, genetics also plays a very important role in the development of the allergic phenotype. Major research interests include protein-protein, gene-protein and gene-gene interactions.
The partners from Marburg, Borstel and Munich represent leading scientists, covering the areas of clinical and experimental pneumology, clinical and experimental allergology, epidemiology, microbiology and immunology, biochemistry and genetics.
Recent research data indicate a strong association between the microbial environment and allergy development. Based on these results a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanism will be developed. In the second and third funding period this should lead to translational and clinical research activities aimed for novel preventive and therapeutic concepts.
DFG Programme CRC/Transregios

Completed projects

Applicant Institution Philipps-Universität Marburg
Co-Applicant Institution Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; Technische Universität München (TUM); Universität zu Lübeck
Participating Institution Forschungszentrum Borstel
Leibniz Lungenzentrum
Participating University Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Spokesperson Professor Dr. Harald Renz