AG "Experimental Dermato-Immunology" Head: Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Felix Lauffer

The focus of the “Experimental Dermato-Immunology” group is on research into the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis vulgaris, atopic eczema, cutaneous lupus erythematosus and lichen planus. Over the last 15 years, there has been enormous development in the field of chronic inflammatory skin diseases. For example, numerous targeted therapies have been approved for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, which are directed against central cytokines of the inflammatory reaction. Nevertheless, there are still no specific therapies available for the vast majority of inflammatory skin diseases. This applies in particular to the group of type 1 dominant skin diseases, in which a cytotoxic immune reaction against resident cells of the skin occurs. The aim of our research is to better understand cross-disease mechanisms of cutaneous inflammation by studying human samples from well-characterized patient cohorts using modern molecular biology methods and correlating the results with clinical attributes. Central genes and transcription factors identified in the process can be knocked out using CRISPR-Cas technology and thus examined for their functionality in primary cells and in vitro skin models. This has already enabled us to identify new mechanisms of interface dermatitis, which is a common histological feature of the group of type 1 dominant skin diseases. In addition to the question of new therapeutic targets, other questions remain unanswered, e.g. the primary triggers of the diseases or factors that lead to the chronification of inflammatory skin diseases. Furthermore, we assume that several endotypes exist within a disease, which differ significantly in terms of clinical response, prognosis and the natural course of the disease. As these endotypes cannot be identified using current diagnostic methods, we are investigating whether the combination of clinical and molecular markers can improve the targeted use of therapeutics. In order to transfer the knowledge gained to the clinic, a further focus of the working group is the implementation of investigator-initiated clinical studies, which can be realized in cooperation with the Dermato-Allergological Study Center (DASZ).