TI-4: Functional (Auto)antibodies

Coordinators: R. Ludwig (UzL), M. Peipp (CAU), G. Riemekasten (UzL)

TI-4 examines the mechanisms of disease-causing autoantibodies in order to identify new and individual therapeutic targets. Autoantibodies can cause local damage through the formation of immune complexes and the activation of the innate immune system. However, they can also occupy so-called G-protein-coupled receptors and influence their mode of operation.  

What does this research area’s work build on?

In order to selectively switch off disease-causing autoantibodies, you can selectively remove them, influence their effect - particularly in the case of receptor-activating antibodies - or intervene in their formation. Bispecific monoclonal antibodies and genetically modified T-cells could represent a way to prevent specific B-cells and thus also the formation of autoantibodies. The members of TI-4 have already done some preparatory work on these possibilities and developed new disease models.

 

What are the main research objectives?

Within three years, the members want the development to have sufficiently progressed to such an extent that they can introduce new treatments in the hospital, and advance to "Clinical Demonstrator". Everyone in the team has several innovative approaches which partially complement each other and which are also at different stages. Using innovative approaches, the researching clinicians want to improve the situation of their patients with rare diseases that have previously not been adequately treatable.

 

What makes this research area special?

The interdisciplinary networking, the coming together of rare expertise, the new and innovative approaches to research, the existence of new animal models - and even new disease models - developed by the members, not only as a result of assistance from the cluster structures, allows the translation of approaches into practice to take place in a very goal-oriented manner, and thus new pathways can be pursued. The research results can be harnessed directly by companies and help to ensure that we understand diseases better.  

 

What does the research area contribute to precision medicine in chronic inflammation?

According to the members, certain autoantibodies or autoantibody signatures shape the individual clinical progression of a wide range of diseases, and not just those which are designated as autoimmune diseases. Recently, the researchers were able to identify a physiological network of autoantibodies, modified by age, gender and disease, and possibly also by environmental factors. Accordingly, autoantibodies are key to precision medicine and the objectives of the cluster.

 

Cooperation with other research areas in the cluster

The influence on the autoantibodies investigated by TI-4 through the microbiome and nutrition (in cooperation with RTF II and RTF IV), the effect of the autoantibodies on cellular signatures and on the initiation of inflammation (in cooperation with RTF III), as well as on the generation of numerous chemical messengers (RTF VI, proteome), and the visualization of the antibody effects (RTF VII) requires broad cooperation between cluster members. The complexity of the data requires good bioinformatics (RTF VIII), the optimal translation into daily practice requires the inclusion of RTF IX (ethics and economics) and access to the right group of patients (RTF X), for which the cluster provides optimum conditions through the creation of appropriate structures. New developments by other TIs and CDs will be adopted and adapted wherever possible, so that further synergies can arise.

 

Members

Dr. Zouhair Aherrahrou

Associated member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Cardiogenetics

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Petra Bacher

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology

Dr. med. Nina van Beek

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology

PD Dr. Katja Bieber

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology

Prof. Dr. Hauke Busch

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
System Biology of Inflammatory Diseases

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Derer-Petersen

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Institute of Medical Nutrition Science
RG Molecular Gastroenterology

Dr. Sören Dräger

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology
AG Prof. Ludwig

Prof. Dr. Marc Ehlers

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Institute of Medical Nutrition Science
Immunology and Glycoanalytics

Prof. Dr. Timo Gemoll

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of General Surgery

PD Dr. rer. nat. Stephanie Goletz

Associated member

University of Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
AG Prof. Schmidt

Dr. Hanna Graßhoff

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
AG Prof. Riemekasten

Dr. rer. hum. biol. Yask Gupta

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Institute for Inflammation Medicine
AG Prof. Thaçi

PD Dr. med. Jens Humrich

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Prof. Dr. Jennifer Hundt

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology

Prof. Dr. rer. biol. hum. Ottmar Janssen

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology

Prof. Dr. Uta Jappe

Full member

Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center
Clinical and Molecular Allergology
Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy

PD Dr. Kathrin Kalies

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Anatomy

Prof. Dr. Christian Karsten

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Systemic Inflammation Research

Dr. rer. nat. Anika Kasprick

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
AG Prof. Ludwig

Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemper

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Systemic Inflammation Research

Dr. Anja Kerstein-Stähle

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology

Prof. Dr. Christine Klein

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute of Neurogenetics

Prof. Dr. Jörg Köhl

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Systemic Inflammation Research

Prof. Dr. Inke König

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Medical Biometrics and Statistics

Prof. Dr. Peter Lamprecht

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Prof. Dr. Tanja Lange

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
Model Systems of Inflammatory Skin Diseases

Prof. Dr. Rudolf Manz

Full member

University of Lübeck
Institute for Systemic Inflammation Research

Prof. Dr. med. Oliver Müller

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine III
Translational Cardiology

Prof. Dr. Matthias Peipp

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Internal Medicine I
Stem Cells and Immunotherapy

Prof. Dr. Frank Petersen

Full member

Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center
Pulmonary Immune Diseases
Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy

PD Dr. Andreas Recke

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology

Prof. Dr. Gabriela Riemekasten

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Prof. Dr. Christian Sadik

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology
Innate immunity

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Alexander Scheffold

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology

Prof. Dr. Dr. Enno Schmidt

Full member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology
Translational Research

Dr. Artem Vorobyev

Associated member

UKSH Campus Lübeck
Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology

Prof. Dr. Daniela Wesch

Full member

UKSH Campus Kiel
Department of Immunology

Prof. Dr. Xinhua Yu

Full member

Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center
Pulmonary Immune Diseases
Priority Research Area Asthma and Allergy