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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of immune-mediated diseases that are treated with immunosuppressants such as Janus kinase 1 inhibitors (JAK1i). The relevant side effects of immunosuppressants include infections. Herpes viruses (including the varicella zoster virus - VZV) remain in the body for life and can reactivate in the event of immunodeficiency. Under treatment with JAK1i, there is an increased risk of VZV reactivation in individuals with IBD. Natural killer (NK) cells are part of the immune system and are important for controlling viral infections.

In this project, the team wants to find out why certain brain tumors (IDH-mutant astrocytomas) become more aggressive over the course of the disease. They suspect that the IDH mutation, which plays an important role in the development of these tumors, loses its influence as the disease progresses. To test this, the scientists are analyzing tumor cells from patients using various single-cell methods. The findings will help us understand the different stages of these tumors and improve their treatment.

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This project investigates immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for skin cancer. These side effects can affect nearly all organs and may lead to the discontinuation of therapy. Although corticosteroids (glucocorticoids) are commonly used, they weaken the immune system and can impair the efficacy of ICI treatment. The goal of the project is to identify new molecular targets in tissue samples and blood to develop personalized treatment approaches.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are rare, complex muscle diseases that pose a significant burden for affected patients. The goal of this project is to create a transcriptomic atlas of these diseases, focusing on gene expression. We collaborate with several international research centers to generate a meaningful dataset. To achieve this, single-cell, single-nucleus, and spatial transcriptomic data will be integrated using biostatistical methods to create a high-resolution map of muscle tissue.

Autoimmune kidney diseases can lead to excessive loss of protein in the urine. The resulting protein deficiency causes lipometabolic disorders, immunodeficiency and fluid retention in the body. In the most recent work, the scientists described autoantibodies targeting nephrin, a kidney protein, as the cause of disease in a subgroup of patients. Nephrin is a signaling protein on cells of the blood-urine barrier, whose function is disrupted by antibody binding.

Pneumonia is a common and potentially serious disease worldwide. Early detection of the associated changes in the lungs is crucial for prompt treatment initiation and a favorable prognosis. The aim of this project is to investigate the potential of a new X-ray technique—so-called dark-field radiography—for this purpose. It is capable of revealing subtle changes in lung tissue that cannot be detected with conventional X-rays. Initially, the world’s only life-sized dark-field scanner will be further developed and optimized using an artificial model that simulates inflammatory changes.

Disorders of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are an integral part of numerous liver diseases including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). This grant will analyse previously collected AATD patient samples and the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from them and use state-of-the-art technologies such as deep visual proteomics, single cell proteomics (SCP) and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) to improve our understanding of the disease and disease progression in children and adults and to find predictive biomarkers.

As we age, the immune system becomes less effective, partly because the thymus - the central organ for maturation of the body’s most important immune cells - loses its function. This increases the risk of infections and cancer. The goal of this project is to temporarily transform the liver into a "replacement factory" that, with the help of mRNA messengers, produces key thymus-derived signals. In this way, immune cells in the body can be selectively strengthened without the need to regenerate the thymus itself.