CRC TRR 241 entering the third phase of funding

The collaborative research center/transregio (CRC/TRR) 241 ”Immune-epithelial communication in inflammatory bowel diseases” is pleased to have been extended for a second time. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is providing funding worth approximately 13.5 million euros for the third funding period until 2030, and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has been allocated nearly 7 million euros of this amount. In conjunction with the Charité hospital in Berlin, researchers in medicine and biotechnology are conducting research aimed at gaining a better understanding of the interaction between cells in mucous membranes and immune cells in the bowel and developing more effective therapy methods for chronic inflammation.

In chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the immune system runs out of control. It not only attacks potentially dangerous microorganisms or tumor cells, but also the body’s own tissue. This results in progressive and damaging inflammation of the intestinal lining. There is still no cure, but the number of people affected by the disease is on the rise. In order to be able to develop new treatments, researchers must first gain a better understanding of what triggers the disease. This is the objective behind transregio 241 “Immune-epithelial communication in inflammatory bowel diseases”.

In the first two funding periods, researchers were able to show that intestinal flora, the intestinal barrier and immune cells in the intestines form a regulatory circuit, and that any malfunctions in the system can have a major effect on inflammatory bowel diseases. Based on this, the research consortium developed innovative approaches for treating and diagnosing the diseases in order to pinpoint and correct any malfunctions causing symptoms in patients. Several of these approaches have been tested in clinical studies.

That apart, the platforms “IBDome”, “SEPIA” and “TIGER” were created, providing internationally visible research resources that systematically merge molecular, clinical and experimental data and open up new avenues for personalized medicine.

Aim: Clinical application for new therapy approaches

In this, the third funding period, the researchers aim to investigate the identified molecular and cellular signaling pathways in innovative model systems and further decipher how they are involved in triggering the disease, the progression of the disease and treatment outcomes. Special attention is being paid to the interactions between immune cells, intestinal epithelium, nervous system, metabolism and microbiome. The aim is to identify new approaches for treatment and to rapidly transfer experimental approaches into clinical applications.

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