Implant-allergy research

Main Fields of Research

The main focus of our research are the immunological and allergological reactions of patients to – especially metal – implant materials. We cooperate with medical societies (orthopaedic – DGOU; allergy – ESCD, DGAKI; dermatology – DDG, DKG, EADV), international research groups (for example by EADV-grant with Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Basel, Malmö, Prague, Stettin) and implant manufacturers. Our research combines epidemiologic, genetic and experimental data to find and improve new tests and setups for the diagnosis of implant intolerance reactions. A major component of these tests is the “lymphocyte transformation test” (LTT), which we also started to evaluate now for drug hypersensitivity. Another focus are inflammatory mediators and their regulation.