IMMUNTOL
Molecular mechanisms of immune tolerance of bacteria by the innate immune defense
The human body is colonized by microorganisms in almost all parts of the body. Certain microorganisms are well tolerated in some places, but in others they are highly pathogenic. As a result, different pathogens in some tissues must be perceived as harmless by the immune cells located there, while the same bacteria in other parts of the body are classified as dangerous. The mechanism for defense against bacteria is based on the recognition of bacterial cell surface components and secretion factors, so-called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying local tolerance are still unknown. Their elucidation would probably enable completely new therapeutic approaches for serious diseases through tissue-specific modulation of immune reactions.
The research consortium aims to elucidate the molecular basis of the immune tolerance of bacteria by the innate immune system. The identification of this basic mechanism would probably enable a considerably better organ- and tissue-specific modulation of the immune response. This could provide important building blocks for better prevention or treatment of many serious diseases. The theoretical application potential ranges from new therapeutic options for neurodegenerative diseases, to the modulation of local inflammatory processes, which are important in the context of arthritis or cancer prevention, to the reduction of nerve damage in acute spinal cord injuries. To implement the project, an interdisciplinary approach is being pursued that combines a modern combination of biotechnological methods in the field of infection and microbiome research and AI approaches from the field of computer vision with the development of novel microfluidic measuring chamber systems.
Project management:
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Bernd Bufe
Prof. Dr. Karl-Herbert Schäfer, Prof. Dr. Christian Schorr, Prof. Dr. Stefan Braun
Project partner:
Department of Computer Science and Microsystems Engineering, Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences
The project is funded by the HAW direkt program
