Inflammation is a crucial reaction of the immune system involving various cell types, effector molecules and signaling pathways that protect us from infections or tumors in the tissues. However, chronic or uncontrolled inflammation can lead to various diseases in which the immune system directs itself against its own body. This is the case in rheumatic diseases, which can affect many different tissues. A remarkable feature is therefore the heterogeneity of the inflammatory processes and their underlying mechanisms. These differences are not limited to the affected organs, but different regions of the same tissue or organ can also have different cell composition and organization. As a result, the functionality of the tissue is impaired to varying degrees, which can lead to anything from an accumulation of immune cells in the tissue to complete destruction of the tissue structure and corresponding functional limitations.

In order to develop therapies in the context of personalized medicine that address the individual differences in disease mechanisms, it is necessary to understand the processes at cell and tissue level. In Program Area 1 “Cell and Tissue Rheumatology”, we are working on preclinical models and – in close collaboration with clinical partners – with human patient samples in order to understand the spatio-temporal mechanisms of chronic inflammation in tissue.

Our aim is to pave the way for the development of innovative therapies to interrupt inflammatory processes in tissue in order to reduce the burden on patients suffering from rheumatic diseases and ultimately find ways to cure them.