des Arbeitsbereichs Experimentelle Rheumatologie im Kompetenznetz Rheuma

 

 

Experimental Rheumatology Research Section

 

The projects in the research section Experimental Rheumatolgy have been focused on the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases with a clear orientation on the physiology and pathology of the immune response.

 

 

Cellular therapy with regulatory T cells (new project, Scheffold)

 

Progess has been made in the characterization and isolation of antigen specific regulatory T cells, which have been shown to profoundly suppress antigen-induced arthritis.

 

The therapeutic potential of Tregs has been further enhanced by using defined subpopulations of Tregs with distinct functional characteristics, which suggests a highly attractive perspective to treat autoimmune diseases curatively.

 

 

Cytometric markers of thymic activity (project C4.1, Radbruch)

 

The physiological mechanisms of immune reconstitution following complete immunoablation with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in severe treatment-refractory autoimmune diseases have been further investigated. Possible therapeutic modulation of the immune reconstitution following treatment could prevent recurrence of the disease.

 

 

CD27++ plasmablasts indicate recurrent SLE activity (project C4.1, Radbruch)

 

The analysis of immune reconstitution of ASCT patients provided direct evidence that a drastic systemic activation of B and Th-cells, triggered by as yet unknown mechanisms, precedes clinical signs of SLE, including humoral autoimmunity. The role of diiferent T and B cell populations has been analyzed with empasis on the long-lived plasma cell pool of SLE patients.

 

 

Circulating CD27++ plasmablasts in rheumatoid arthritis patients (project C2.2, Berek)

 

CD27++ CD19+ plasmablasts in the peripheral blood of RA patients have been shown to originate from germinal center reactions taking place most likely in the synovial membrane. The analysis of these cells allows investigation of antigen specificity despite the often limited availability of synovial biopsies.

 

 

Determination of genetic polymorphisms in RA-patients receiving biologicals (new project, Kekow)

 

IL-10 promotor polymorphisms have been identified as genetic markers that determine the responsiveness to anti-TNF-alpha treatment in RA patients and are predictive for assessing the success rate of RA treatment with biologicals. The therapeutic responsiveness of patients to anti-TNF-alpha biologicals and the ttreatment continuation has been investigated in a large epidemiologic study.