SFB-Transregio 57 Organ Fibrosis

 

From Mechanisms of Injury to Modulation of Disease

Researchers are turning their attention to fibrosis, the abnormal multiplication of connective tissue, in the liver and kidneys.

Scarring of this kind often has a deadly outcome and results in high treatment costs.

The goal is to decipher the widely unknown pathophysiological foundation of fibrotic diseases. This particularly includes the identification of shared mechanisms in the kidneys and liver. Only with this foundation is the development of innovative therapies conceivable.

Predisposition and Initiation

 

• Genetics: Which Genes benefit fibrogenesis?
• Initiation: What molecular principles are relevant to the initiation of fibrosis?

Immunological Mechanisms

• What immunological mechanisms influence the course of fibrosis development?

Modulation and Repair

• What soluble and intracellular factors modulate the course of fibrosis development?
• What new therapeutic approaches can be developed based on the results?

Spokesperson for Transregional Collaborative Research Center is RWTH professor Dr. Christian Trautwein. Other involved institutions are the universities in Bonn and Saarbrücken.