New Research Department at the Leibniz Institute German Rheumatism Research Center Berlin (DRFZ)

Today, rheumatic diseases can be investigated at the level of each individual cell involved. Only their interaction leads to chronic disease. This systemic perspective opens up completely new treatment options. At the DRFZ, several working groups have now been combined to form a new department called “Systems Rheumatology” in order to specifically improve this research. The head of the new department is Dr Mir-Farzin Mashreghi. His working group investigates the gene expression of individual cells and develops new methods to influence them therapeutically. The department also includes Dr Andrey Kruglov’s working group, which focuses on the interaction of the immune system with the bacteria of our microbiome in rheumatic diseases, and Prof Max Löhning’s working group, which is developing new methods for treating osteoarthritis.