ProRaD: Prospective Longitudinal Study for the examination of the remission phase of patients with atopic dermatitis and associated diseases like asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever); Cooperation partner: CK-Care

The ProRaD study is meant to help improve the understanding of mechanisms which influence the course of atopic dermatitis and its accompanying allergic illnesses. The newfound results make it possible to develop new approaches for the prevention and treatment of atopic dermatitis and its accompanying illnesses. It is a multicentral observation study. To answer central questions, data from extensive questionnaires as well as biomaterials (blood, tissue, and skin swabs) get collected within a yearly rhythm. 

Project leaders: Carina Gülzow, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

TOLL: Effect of a face lotion on the skin barrier of people with atopic dermatitis

The study examines the effect of the basic therapy on the skin barrier of patients with atopic dermatitis. A defect of the skin barrier is often simultaneous with atopic dermatitis. According to the current level of knowledge the upkeep and stabilization of the skin barrier is a key for the personalized prevention and therapy of atopic dermatitis as well as a starting point for allergy prevention. Within the lotion study the subjects with medically diagnosed atopic dermatitis and as well as those with skin that has a tendency of developing atopic eczema are being observed for two weeks. They use lotion on their face, neck and cleavage and fill out a diary about their symptoms during this time. They are furthermore invited for appointments during which non-invasive skin physiological and clinical examinations (SCORAD, EASI, judgement of skin status, Chromametry, TEWL-, pH-, Corneometry-, Sebumetry- and EIS-measurement) are carried out to evaluate the compatibility and effect of the lotion. Diverse patient parameters and groups are to be considered in a balanced way during the evaluation of the data.

Project leaders: Dr. Matthias Reiger, Daria Luschkova, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

BIOFILM: Experimental Investigation concerning the influence of an ingredient on the production of the biofilm of Staphylococci.

Investigation for the clarification of the biofilm production and dynamic of Staphylococcus aureus as well as Staphylococci which are coagulase negative. For this reason patient isolates from the stem collection are selected and their capacity to produce biofilm is analyzed. Afterwards the influence of an active complex on the production of biofilm is examined quantitively.

Projekt leader: Dr. Matthias Reiger

ABROGATE: Solutions for food allergy by precision diagnostics and treatment, Cooperation partner: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

The goal of the ABROGATE group is finding new solutions for the diagnose and treatment of people with allergic food hyper sensibilities. For this purpose, the interaction of diverse allergy regulating factors like exposition to environmental factors, the barrier function of skin and the surfaces of the mucous membrane, the composition of the microbiome as well as innate and adaptive immune responses are analyzed to identify the mechanisms of intolerance and new biomarkers for diagnosis.

Project leaders: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

KuHeMo: Environment and allergy. A digital Environment-Health-Information-Service for Bad Hindelang, research funding: Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit, K1-2499-KuHeMo-21-V4-D15614/2022

The first study is investigating the amount and time specific patterns of pollen allergens and the occurrence of allergenic respiratory symptoms of people in Bad Hindelang. The second study is investigating if the use of an Environment-Allergy-App with an integrated symptom diary, information about pollen and information material is reducing the symptoms and is beneficial for the life quality of adults with seasonal allergies affecting the respiratory system by comparing it to an app with only a symptom diary and informational material and an “empty” app (i.e. only informational material). The third study is examining the pilot version of the health guide app in the health resort Bad Hindelang in an applicational observation study.

Project leaders: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

PollenPALS: Biotic and abiotic effects of pollen production and allergenic potential of birches and consequences for the health of allergy sufferers. TF 467/9-1

In cooperation with the KU Eichstätt and the HU Berlin the allergenic potential of birches and the dependence from genetic and environmental factors is analyzed. In three work packages (i) birches with identical genetic origin in phenological gardens from all of Europe, (ii) different clones of birches in a seed plantation and (iii) birches in an altitudinal gradient are compared in reference to the molecular composition and allergenicity of their pollen (skin prick test).

Project leaders: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann.

From Exposome to Reaktome: Panel study concerning the connection between natural pollen exposition, local and systematic immune reaction respiratory symptoms, cooperation partner: CK-Care

Within the scope of a human-biomonitoring-study, that has been in process since 2015, people that do suffer from pollen allergy and those that do not fill out a diary once a year (from the middle of January until the end of November) regarding allergy symptoms, infections and behaviour that is exposure-relevant. Furthermore, within the singular years, additional longitudinal bio probes (PBMCs, serume, nose secrete) are taken and used to analyze the nasal and systematic immune reaction. The goal hereby is to identify the biomarkers for the strength of the symptoms as well as clinically relevant exposition threshold values for pollen.

Project leaders: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

Poll-Det: Trigger of the allergic sensitization against birch pollen, DFG GI754/3-1, cooperation partner: Fachbereich Biowissenschaften und Medizinische Biologie der Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg

Understanding the mechanisms for allergic sensitization against birch pollen and identifying components, which are part of the initial Th2-formative step, will make it possible to develop customized therapeutic and prophylactic approaches.

Project leader: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles

ISAC-Children: Determining specific IgE from the nasal secretion of children with the ISAC-Analysis: Establishing a new, less invasive diagnostic instrument for allergies, research funding: faculty of medicine of the university Augsburg

It is examined – in cooperation with the children-pneumology and the allergology of the university clinic Augsburg - to which degree specific IgE can be determined in the nasal secretion of children with allergies, how well serum and nasal IgE Tests (ISAC) correlate, if it is possible to prove local allergic rhinitis with a nasal ISAC and how the IgE profiles in the serum and nasal secretion are changing in the process (within and outside of the pollen season; during a specific immunotherapy). The translational goal of the project is testing a non-invasive diagnostic method for allergies using nasal ISAC for children and further developing the application of this diagnostic method.

Project leaders: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles, Dr. Mehmet Gökkaya

Co-Infect-AUX: Frequency and seasonality of respiratory Co-Infections in the region of Augsburg

The data analysis study investigates the frequency and seasonality of the respiratory co-infections with bacteria and viruses with a clinic data set of patient samples, which were examined at UKA in the time from 2002 until 2019 in PCR-based tests.

Project leader: Dr. Mehmet Gökkaya

Serotonin-DC: Influence of the serotonin-signaling on the maturing, production of cytokine and T-cell priming of dendritic cells, research funding: Chair resources

Within a medical doctor thesis the following was examined in laboratory experiments: if and how the expression of receptors for biogenic Amine of dendritic cells of allergic (birch) and non-allergic donors is different, how the expression of receptors changes through the maturing of cells with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and stimulation with birch pollen and how the stimulation with biogenic amines influences production of cytokine, maturing and DC-mediated T-cell differentiation.

Project leader: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles

PERSOSAC: Examination of perioral dermatitis, rosacea, acne vulgaris with dermatoscopy, D-OCT and LC-OCT, VISIA® diagnostic for the presentation of the colonization with demodex mites and qPCR in regard to the colonization with Cutibacterium acnes, intramural funding

Examination of perioral dermatitis, rosacea, acne vulgaris with dermatoscopy, D-OCT and LC-OCT, VISIA® diagnostic for the presentation of the colonization with demodex mites and qPCR regarding the colonization with Cutibacterium acnes.

Project leaders: Dr. Bettina Naber DERMA, Dr. Matthias Reiger UWM

SerMa (Seroma of the Mammary gland): Examination of the development of seromas after mastectomies, research funding: Faculty of medicine at Augsburg University

In cooperation with the women´s hospital the development of seroma after prosthetic breast reconstruction with implants is examined in the SerMa-study. Biomarkers for the prediction and risk assessment of a breast seroma after a skin-sparing mastectomy are to be determined by the means of flow cytometric cell- and multiplex-protein-measurements. Another part of the study is the analysis of the microbiome diversity.

Project leaders: Prof. Dr. Nina Ditsch, Nicole Pochert, Dr. Matthias Reiger

EXTREME: Development of a systematic monitoring of mortality and morbidity during extreme weather events with a focus on extreme heat and extreme cold, research funding: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Gesundheit und Pflege

The goal of the research project is the implementation of a register for all of Bavaria, which creates a data foundation that makes it possible to proactively prognose mortality and morbidity of the population caused by extreme cold and heat and to develop early warning systems. To achieve this, health outcomes, which are defined by chosen ICD-10 Codes on one hand and determinants of health for example life and working conditions, which are influenced by extreme heat and extreme cold and impact the mortality and morbidity of the population on the other hand, are systematically documented and multidimensionally analyzed.

Project leaders: Daria Luschkova, Monika Seemann, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

IMPACCT: Improved decision-support for Managing the risk from Environmental disease to Public Health in a Climate Change perspective, DFG

The IMPACCT-Project suggests one of the first worldwide, ready for use Realtime-Allergy observation systems, which support affected persons with managing their allergies on the daily. To achieve this a large number of approaches and data, for example classification of Social-Mining-Data, environmental data, which is especially seen in context to the impact of climate change, is getting integrated in a new approach. These are complemented by individual records about health status, which reflect the symptoms, as well as the attitude towards the illness with the goal of making personalized medicine possible in the future. To gain as much knowledge as possible, all data is examined temporally and spatially with the most precise analytical resolution possible.

Project leaders: Dr. Maria Plaza

GRK 2679: Urban Green Infrastructure – Scientific education of future experts of integrated city planning

The goal of this research training group is inspiring and training young researchers to develop new solutions for urban green infrastructures (UGI). They furthermore aim to improve the sustainability, resilience, and life quality of cities by developing networks of green and blue open spaces with diverse benefits for the ecosystem.

Project leaders: Dr. Maria Plaza, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

Pollen-Metabolome: Influence of climate change and air pollution on the allergenicity of ambrosia and birch pollen, research funding: Helmholtz Munich

In cooperation with the Helmholtz Centre Munich the allergy inducing (allergenic) potential of pollen, which was won from different plants from climate chamber experiments (ambrosia) and locations in nature (birch), is compared using mouse and cell culture experiments. Targeted and non-targeted metabolome-analyses are supposed to show which substances in the pollen samples of plants in different test groups (ambrosia: high and low ozone pollution; birch: locations in either the city or countryside) are differentially expressed and which part they play in the allergenicity and tolerance induction.

Project leaders: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles

MELIUS: Improvement of the support situation of allergy suffers during changed environmental conditions in the context of climate change, DGAKI, DWD, Health Department Munich, municipality Bad Hindelang; funding code 01VSF23018

Climate-induced changes in environment lead to a higher allergen exposure and often have negative consequences for the health and life quality of humans. Researchers of the MELIUS project want to track this development and work on suggestions, which are tailored to the life circumstances of the affected people. Because of this reason the research group – in the frame of GKV routine data analysis in context with environment data – will evaluate the higher burden of the health system because of allergy symptoms caused by the environment and identify risk factors for allergy symptoms. Through accompanying questioning of the affected people about the individual effects of climate changes on the health and the life quality the patients with allergies, asthma and atopic dermatitis are able to partake in the project. Following up on this the occurrence of allergy illnesses in various climate scenarios based on simulation models are to be predicted. Based on this the researchers aim to find efficient and effective treatment methods for allergic illnesses, which take climate-induced factors into account. The results will be made available for patients through target group appropriate info material and will also contribute to the measurements for prevention.

Project leaders: Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, Daria Luschkova, Monika Seemann

CORAERO: Airborne Transmission of SARS Coronavirus - From Fundamental Science to Efficient Air Cleaning Systems, HGF

The project CORAERO of the Helmholtz-Community aims to make comprehensive, interdisciplinary contributions to better understand the spreading of respiratory viruses, which mainly spread in the form of aerosols as well as through droplets and fomites, on one hand and to develop technical and administrative measures for the reduction and control of viruses on the other hand. We plan on doing research and technology transfer for new technologies, which remove and deactivate viruses in the air and on surfaces.

Project leaders: Dr. Matthias Reiger, Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann

CoV-Ex: innate immune responses of nasal epithelial cells under co-exposure with complex, allergenic and infectious bioaerosols, in the frame of CORAERO

Co-exposition between mixed bio aerosols is a rule and not an exception under natural circumstances. We were already able to prove that pollen exposition influences the antiviral defense against rhino viruses (HRV) and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In the frame of the CORAERO sub-project epithelial cells from the nose of healthy subjects as well as those with pollen allergy are taken with nasal brush swabs and are then expanded, differentiated at the Air-Liquid-Interface and treated with mixed aerosols from allergens (pollen, mold spores, house dust mites) and human corona virus (hCoV 229E, NL63). The antiviral defense of the nose epithel is compared between cells, that only got infected with the corona virus and those, that were infected with the corona virus after previously being exposed to aerosols with allergens. The goal is getting a molecular insight in the crosstalk between allergens and viruses in the epithel of the upper respiratory system.

Project leader: PD Dr. Stefanie Gilles

CoVnasal: Establishment of nasal bio markers of SARS-CoV-2 infections for the classification of the severity level and the assessment of the immunity, Research funding: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Lebensmittelsicherheit

Mucosal immunity forms the first line of defense against viruses that are transmitted through aerosols, for example SARS-CoV-2. Paradoxically the severity of the immune response is still measured in the serum. There is no information on the question whether the concentration of antibodies in the serum reflects the local immunity at the moment. Different parameters are to be examined in nose secretions using ultrasensitive multiplex methods and a comparison with inflammation markers and antibody data generated from the blood serum is to be made.

Project leaders: Dr. Mehmet Gökkaya

CoVsevere - Early prediction of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC) severity, research funding: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Lebensmittelsicherheit

In the case of a new SARS-CoV-2-VoC occurring in a new wave of infection it takes 4-6 weeks - until a large enough number (N~10.000) of patients is infected and the rate of hospital stays can be evaluated – before it is possible to assess the danger of the new VoC. We postulate, that the measurement of the population distribution of cytokine patterns soon after the infection of around 300 patients would make a premature prediction on the severity of the new VoC possible.

Project leaders: Prof. Dr. Avidan Neumann

CoVaKo-Breakthrough infections: Corona-Vaccine-Consortium. Course of SARS-CoV-2-Infections in regard to vaccinated and non-vaccinated people, research funding: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Lebensmittelsicherheit

The study aims to characterize the clinical, immunological, and virological course of SARS-CoV-2-Infections in regard to people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 and those that are not. The comparison of both groups enables a better understanding for the differences regarding the severity of the course of infection and the immune response as well es the exploration of possible reasons for vaccination breakthrough infections. The project is being conducted at the six Bavarian university clinics in Augsburg, Munich (LMU und TUM), Erlangen, Würzburg and Regensburg.

Project leader: Dr. Mehmet Gökkaya

Early-Opt-COVID19: Early immune biomarkers for the optimization of COVID-19, research funding: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Lebensmittelsicherheit, Sanddorf-Stiftung

COVID-19-Patients show a diverse spectrum of severity levels, from asymptomatic over weakening symptoms to critical conditions, which require a hospital stay and oxygen support. It is however not known if a prediction in the earliest possible stadium is feasible. For this reason, we will raise clinical and laboratory data in a prospective Observation-Longitudinal Study to examine the immune course as a reaction to a SARS-CoV-2-Infection with the goal of determining early biomarkers for the severity level of COVID-19 and its context with other clinical, nutrition and environment factors.

Project leaders: Prof. Dr. Avidan Neumann, Dr. Mehmet Gökkaya

REFORME: Resilience, research, rehabilitation and relaxation mechanisms, research funding: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Gesundheit und Pflege

The goal of the study is the implementation of a register which records the data of people which suffer from restrictions regarding their health in the sense of Post-Vac-Symptoms which was triggered by vaccinations or viral infections or alternatively a combination of multiple factors. The register aims to stratify existing data, identify biomarkers an develop prediction models for a targeted treatment of the Post-Vac-Syndrome.

Project leaders: Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann