Autoimmunity to type VII collagen

Scientific goal is to provide new insights into the molecular and cellular control of antibody-mediated autoimmunity. In a concerted effort, young scientists use the expertise clustered in Areas A-E to define genetic susceptibility for autoimmune skin blistering and key events controlling the production of pathogenic autoantibodies.

In addition, the effects triggered by autoantibodies, including changes of the autoantigen's structure as well as cellular and molecular inflammatory mechanisms resulting in tissue damage, will be characterized. This IRN will extend well beyond the boundaries of these model diseases of organ-specific autoimmunity to facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies for autoantibody-mediated diseases in general.

Spotlight on facilities:different in vitro and in vivo models of autoimmune diseases, STD NMR, X-ray crystallography, genotyping and sequencing facilities as described in Area A
Participating institutions: Universities Lübeck (Dermatology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Microbiology) and Kiel (Clinical Molecular Biology, Immunology), Research Center Borstel
Spotlight on people: several young professors and senior scientists through cluster funding
Coordinator:
Detlef Zillikens (Dermatology, Autoimmunity), University Lübeck
Phone: +49 451 5002513, E-Mail: Detlef Zillikens

Junior Research Group I-h: Clinical Research Unit/CRU170
"Early pathogenesis of Wegener's granulomatosis: from innate immunity with granuloma formation to autoimmunity". The scientific goal is to elucidate genetic, other endogenous, and exogenous factors by which chronic granulomatous inflammation contributes to autoimmunity and by which proteinase 3 becomes the principal target autoantigen in WG.
Coordinator:
Peter Lamprecht, University Lübeck
Phone: +49 451 5004798, E-Mail: Peter Lamprecht