Basic Science | Solution Discovery
The transfer of knowledge from the laboratory to the hospital bed and back again! An international team comprised of scientists, doctoral candidates, and technical assistants conducts research together into fundamental scientific and translational questions. Our focus is on research into the fundamentals of mast cell biology, which play a pivotal role in many different dermatological and allergological diseases.
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Our spectrum of research encompasses the following:
- Investigating mast cell heterogeneity and mast cell-specific reaction profiles
- Investigating the interaction mechanisms between mast cells and other types of immune cells
- Investigating the interaction between mast cells and T cells during viral infections
- Identifying new autoantigens associated with chronic spontaneous urticaria and inducible chronic urticaria
- Developing and validating new active ingredients to treat autoinflammatory diseases
- Identification and validation of new active ingredients to strengthen the endogenous immunoregulatory processes associated with allergies
For our research, we primarily use in vitro models in which we use mast cells either generated from stem cells from blood samples or directly isolated from the skin. We add special growth factors to these mast cell cultures (e.g., stem cell factors and cytokines) to simulate skin-like conditions. The generation of a physiological environment in vitro is especially important as we aim to analyse mast cells under “natural” conditions. Only by applying these methods can we be sure that our laboratory findings reflect what is happening in our skin.