Second Munich-Chicago Lung Conference Highlights Environmental Risks and Disease Heterogeneity
Leading lung health experts from the U.S. and Europe gathered in Hohenkammer, near Munich, for the second edition of the Munich-Chicago Lung Conference. Building on last year’s success in Chicago, this year’s event continued to push the boundaries of lung disease research.
Opened by Önder Yildirim (Institute of Lung Health and Immunity, Helmholtz Munich) and Scott Budinger (SQLIFTS, Northwestern Medicine), the conference spotlighted the growing complexity of lung diseases, alongside the critical role of environmental risk factors. And critical - as Önder Yildirim pointed out - is the situation particularly regarding COPD: There are an estimated 7 million COPD patients in Germany alone. And the disease is still incurable.
Rethinking Environmental Impact on Lung Health
In her keynote, Annette Peters (EPI, Helmholtz Munich) emphasized the need for a broader perspective on lung disease, beyond traditional risk factors like smoking. "Do we need to rethink the role of smoking versus environmental exposures?" she posed.
Bart Vanaudenaerde from Leuven University echoed this sentiment in his presentation on lung transplantation. Drawing from his clinical experience, he noted, “Chronic rejection is linked to air pollution. If pollution levels spike, within days we see stronger rejection in patients."
Daniel Kreisel from Washington University in St. Louis, USA - a leading international expert in lung transplantation - shared some new insights on immune mechanisms with the attendees at Hohenkammer. He and his team are using intravital imaging platforms to understand the cues that regulate the trafficking of various immune cells when it comes to rejection after lung transplantation.
A Call for Personalized Medicine
A major theme that emerged from the conference was the heterogeneity of lung diseases, especially COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Klaus Rabe of the Lungenclinic Grosshansdorf challenged: "COPD isn’t just a disease affecting elderly smokers. With aging populations, we must consider multimorbidity and look at the risk factors for younger individuals and even preterm infants."
Daiana Stolz from the University of Freiburg underscored the complexity of diagnosis and treatment: “There’s no single diagnostic method for COPD, so there can’t be just one therapy.”
Young Scientists Drive Innovation
The next generation of lung researchers made a strong impression at the conference. Yuexin Chen (PRM, Helmholtz Munich) presented her work on the loss of small airways in early COPD stages, while Aicha Jeridi (LHI, Helmholtz Munich) explored how cells decide to undergo ferroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, in hopes of preventing it.
Throughout the event, young researchers shared their projects in presentations and poster sessions, engaging with established scientists from both sides of the Atlantic. Their contributions underscored the importance of nurturing young talent in the fight against lung disease.
A Collaborative Future
After two days of insightful discussions and knowledge-sharing, the conference concluded with a message of gratitude and optimism from Scott Budinger and Önder Yildirim: “This transatlantic collaboration will become a cornerstone in our battle against lung diseases. We look forward to continuing these critical discussions next year in Chicago."
About the Munich-Chicago Lung Conference
The Institute of Lung Health and Immunity (LHI), Helmholtz-Munich and the Simpson Querrey Lung Institute for Translational Sciences (SQLIFTS) at Northwestern University, Chicago are organizing this conference since 2023. The conference takes place every year, alternately in Chicago and Munich. It covers the latest basic and translational research developments and clinical advances in environmentally driven lung diseases and aging with a focus on preventive and regenerative medicine.
Organizers: Önder Yildirim, Roxana M. Wasnick (both Helmholtz Munich), Jürgen Behr (LMU Clinic), Scott Budinger, and Karen M. Ridge (Northwestern University)
