Betterunderstandingandmoretargetedtreatmentofchronicmusculoskeletaldisorders
IntheresearchconsortiumMESINFLAMEresearchersinvolvingtheClusterofExcellence"PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation"(PMI)areplanningtoinvestigatetheroleoftheconnectivetissueininflammatorymusculoskeletaldisorders.
 
Backpain,arthrosisandrheumaticdiseasesareafewofthemorethan200formsofillnessthataredefinedasinflammatorymusculoskeletaldisorders,IMDs.Thesearechronicinflammatorydisordersthataffectthemusculoskeletalsystemandinparticular,muscles,bonesandjoints.Manypatientssufferfromseverepainandphysicallimitationsthatcansignificantlyrestricttheirlives.Theydependonintensivemedicalcare,whichputsastrainonbothpatientsandtheirfamilies.Thesecommonformsofillnessalsoputaconsiderablestrainonthehealthcaresystembecauseoftheirhightreatmentcosts.Thereisasyetinsufficientknowledgeofthecauseofmusculoskeletaldisorders.WiththeassistanceoftheClusterofExcellencePrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation(PMI),thisissomethingresearcherswanttochangeinthenewlyestablishedresearchconsortiumMESINFLAME,whichisfundedbytheFederalMinistryofEducationandResearch(BMBF).
Theaimoftheinterdisciplinaryproject,whichiscoordinatedbyProfessorThomasPapoftheUniversityofMnster,istoresearchtheroleofconnectivetissue,whatisknownasmesenchyme,intheemergenceandchronificationofIMDs.Theresearchersplantodevelopinnovativediagnosisandtreatmentmethodsbasedontheirfindings.TheFederalMinistryofEducationandResearch(BMBF)isprovidingtheinterdisciplinaryresearchconsortiumMESINFLAME(fulltitle:Integrativepreclinicalstrategiesfortargetingthelocalmesenchymeasaregulatoroftissuespecifityininflammatorymusculoskeletaldisorders(IMDs))withfundingofaround4millionoverthreeyears.Twosub-projectswillbecarriedoutattheDepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunologyattheUniversityMedicalCenterSchleswig-Holstein(UKSH),CampusLbeck. 
MuchofwhatwealreadyknowaboutIMDs,inotherwords,aboutwhatgoeswrongwiththeimmunesystemasaresultofthesedisorders,eitherappliestoallofthesedisordersoratleastthereissomeoverlappingbetweenthem.Bycontrast,theindividualformsofdiseaseareveryorgan-specific.Butwhy,forexample,onedisorderaffectsthekneeandanotheraffectsthebackissomethingwedonotyetunderstandwellenough,explainedProfessorGabrielaRiemekasten,memberoftheMESINFLAMESteeringCommittee,DirectoroftheDepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunologyatUKSH,CampusLbeck,andmemberoftheExecutiveGroupoftheClusterofExcellencePMI.Recentfindingssuggestthatthelocalconnectivetissueplaysanimportantroleinorganspecifity.OnehypothesisinthecaseofIMDsisthatlocalfactorswithintheconnectivetissue,suchase.g.extracellularvesiclesandtissue-specificantibodiesregulatetheforminwhichandtheseveritywithwhichtheparticularmusculoskeletaldisorderdevelops.Thiscouldbeanapproachfornew,morespecificandlastingtreatments,saidProf.Riemekasten.
IntheprojectsbeingcarriedoutwithintheframeworkofMESINFLAMEinLbeck,tworheumaticautoimmunediseasesbelongingtotheIMDgrouparebeinginvestigatedusingpatienttrialsaswellasvariousinvitroandinvivomodelsinordertodevelopnew,effectivetreatmentmethods.Thesetwodiseasesaretheconnectivetissuediseasesystemicsclerosisandthevasculardiseasegranulomatosiswithpolyangiitis,whichformkeyareasofexpertiseattheDepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunologyattheUKSH,CampusLbeck.
OneofthetwoLbeckprojectsisledbyProf.Riemekasten,DirectoroftheDepartmentandmemberoftheExecutiveGroupoftheClusterofExcellencePMI.Heresheisexaminingtheroleofextracellularvesicles,whicharebubble-likestructuresoutsidethecellsandautoantibodies,whichareantibodiesthatattackthebody'sownstructures.Shesuspectsthatintheseautoantibodiesandextracellularvesiclesthereisamediatorfunctionfortissueandorgandamageinautoimmunediseases. 
ThesecondprojectinLbeckisledbyProfessorPeterLamprecht,whoisalsofromtheDepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunologyattheUKSH,CampusLbeck,andmemberoftheClusterofExcellencePMI.Theaimofhisprojectistoresearchthepotentialofconnectivetissuestemcellsasatreatmentoptionfortherheumaticautoimmunediseasegranulomatosiswithpolyangiitis(GPA),whichisaninflammatorydiseaseofthebloodvessels.
Connectivetissuestemcellshavegreatpotentialforbreakingthecycleofchronicinflammation.Thisisindicatedbypreviousworkonotherdiseases,saidProf.Lamprecht.Usingsixmodeldiseases,includingthebloodvesselinflammationGPA,ouraimintheprojectMESINFLAMEistoworktogethertofindtreatmentoptionsformusculoskeletaldisordersbasedonconnectivetissuestemcells.Wehopethefindingsfromthemodeldiseasescanlaterbetransferredtofurthermusculoskeletaldisorders,addedProf.Lamprecht.
TheMESINFLAME-projectsinLbeck:
Project5-Autoantibodiesandextracellularvesiclesasdriverfororgan-specifictissuedamageinconnectivetissuediseases
- PrincipleInvestigators:
- Prof.GabrielaRiemekasten(PI,MemberoftheSteeringCommittee),DepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunology,UKSH,CampusLbeck
- Prof.TanjaLange(Co-PI),DepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunologyattheUKSH,CampusLbeck
- Prof.XinhuaYu(Co-PI),HeadoftheResearchGroupImmuneLungDiseases,ResearchCenterBorstel-LeibnizLungCenter
Projekt6-MesenchymalstemcellsasatreatmentstrategyforANCA-associatedvasculitis
- PrincipleInvestigators:
- Prof.PeterLamprecht(PI),DepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunology,UKSH,CampusLbeck
- Prof.UdoSchumacher(Co-PI),InstituteofAnatomyandExperimentalMorphology,UniversityMedicalCenterHamburg-Eppendorf
-  
ScientificContakt:
Prof.GabrielaRiemekasten
DepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunology,UKSH,CampusLbeck
+4945150045200
gabriela.riemekasten@uksh.de
LbeckprojectsintheBMBFconsortiumMESINFLAME:Project5-Autoantibodiesandextracellularvesiclesasdriverfororgan-specifictissuedamageinconnectivetissuediseases;Project6-MesenchymalstemcellsasatreatmentstrategyforANCA-associatedvasculitis.
MemberoftheMESINFLAMESteeringCommitteeandPrincipleInvestigatoronProject5:ProfessorGabrielaRiemekasten,DirectoroftheDepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunologyattheUKSH,CampusLbeckandExecutiveGroupmemberoftheClusterofExcellence"PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation(PMI).
PrincipleInvestigatoronProject6:ProfessorPeterLamprecht,DepartmentofRheumatologyandImmunologyattheUKSH,CampusLbeck,andmemberoftheClusterofExcellence"PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation(PMI).
AbouttheClusterofExcellencePMI
TheClusterofExcellence"PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation"(PMI)isbeingfundedfrom2019to2025throughtheGermanExcellenceStrategy(ExStra).Itsucceedsthe"InflammationatInterfacesCluster,whichwasalreadyfundedintwoperiodsoftheExcellenceInitiative(2007-2018).Around300membersfromeightinstitutionsatfourlocationsareinvolved:Kiel(KielUniversity,UniversityMedicalCenterSchleswig-Holstein(UKSH),MuthesiusUniversityofFineArtsandDesign,KielInstitutefortheWorldEconomy(IfW),LeibnizInstituteforScienceandMathematicsEducation(IPN)),Lbeck(UniversityofLbeck,UniversityMedicalCenterSchleswig-Holstein(UKSH)),Pln(MaxPlanckInstituteforEvolutionaryBiology)andBorstel(ResearchCenterBorstel-LeibnizLungCenter).
Thegoalistotranslateinterdisciplinaryresearchfindingsonchronicinflammatorydiseasesofbarrierorganstohealthcaremoreintensively,aswellastofulfilpreviouslyunsatisfiedneedsofthepatients.Threepointsareimportantinthecontextofsuccessfultreatment,andarethereforeattheheartofPMIresearch:theearlydetectionofchronicinflammatorydiseases,thepredictionofdiseaseprogressionandcomplications,andthepredictionofindividualresponsestotreatment.
Pressoffice
fbuhse@uv.uni-kiel.de+49(0)431/8804682https://precisionmedicine.de
ClusterofExcellence "PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation"
ScientificOffice
Head:Dr.habil.SusanneHolsteinPostal
Christian-Albrechts-Platz4,24118Kiel,Germany
Contact:SonjaPetermann
 +49(0)431880-4850,fax:+49(0)431880-4894
spetermann@uv.uni-kiel.de
Twitter:PMI@medinflame
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