Research
Research
Research of the Department of Experimental Allergology and Immunodermatology
The focus of our research group is on autoimmune diseases such as bullous pemphigoid, allergies, skin cancer and inflammatory skin diseases including atopic dermatitis, contact eczema and psoriasis. We are particularly interested in the role of basophils and eosinophils in these diseases, as the inflammatory mediators released from these cells play a crucial role in the severity of symptoms and also act on other immune cells that control these diseases. Our group has many years of experience in isolating and purifying human allergic effector cells to study their functional responses and to elucidate the intracellular signalling mechanisms that control their reactivity. Our main goal is to understand the different roles of these cells in autoimmunity and allergy and to develop new therapeutic strategies.
Ongoing international research collaborations include the University of Groningen (NL), where we are investigating the causes of skin blistering in bullous pemphigoid and the role of TRP channels in atopic dermatitis. We are also a member of the translational PruSeach research group, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). In close co-operation with the Universities of Heidelberg, Düsseldorf, Münster, Mainz, Erlangen and Würzburg, we hope to unravel the novel mechanisms of itch and its link to pain and identify new treatment targets. Other cooperation partners are the University of Leuven (Belgium) and the Hannover Medical School, with whom we are researching fundamental questions about the role of inflammatory mediators in chronic inflammatory skin diseases.