EXC 3118:  ImmunoPreCept: Exploring the Health-Disease Bifurcation for Cell-based Molecular Prevention and Interceptive Medicine

• Subject Area: Medicine ; Basic Research in Biology and Medicine ; Microbiology, Virology and Immunology ; Social Sciences
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 533770413

Chronic diseases, such as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) and cancers, are on the rise in our aging society. Many of these conditions are deeply linked to inappropriate immune activity in affected tissues. Current medical strategies often address diseases too late, focusing on symptom management and targeting pathways in established diseases. The loss of homeostatic control in conditions like IMIDs and certain cancers remains understudied. This knowledge gap hinders early diagnosis and treatment of these diseases, resulting in a socioeconomic burden and increasing patient suffering. ImmunoPreCept views health as actively maintained. Tissues constantly adapt to a changing environment, where the immune system plays a crucial role. Dysfunction in this system can cause IMIDs and certain cancers. ImmunoPreCept scientists are shifting paradigms by highlighting the immune system’s role in tissue health. We hypothesize that common complex diseases begin in pre-disease states, marked by the breakdown of health-maintaining functions. We aim to map these changes to improve early diagnosis and enable molecularly informed prevention and disease interception. ImmunoPreCept is a timely and unique collaborative scientific concept. Based on existing research networks, ImmunoPreCept leverages novel interdisciplinary synergies in Berlin: it unites global experts in medical systems biology, immunology, tissue biology, single-cell analysis, and clinical medicine to develop research and medical applications at unprecedented scale and precision. ImmunoPreCept explores (i) how the immune system supports tissues to adapt to continuous changes (Research Program A), (ii) how disruptions in healthy processes precede symptomatic disease (Research Program B) and (iii) how clinical remission relates to health (Research Program C). ImmunoPreCept aims for a paradigm shift: to prevent and detect the early emergence of disease, with significant societal, educational, and policy impacts. By centralizing ImmunoPreCept activities in Berlin, we aim to establish a world-leading research center focused on the molecular and cellular determinants that maintain health. Bridging programs will advance diagnostics and therapies and create a think tank for collaboration among biomedical scientists, and leaders in ethics, medical history, sociology, and public engagement. We integrate excellence networks with public engagement and social sciences. Strategic recruitments in immunology, systems biology, and data science will support our goal. Our collaborative design, along with educational and early career initiatives, will attract international scientists from diverse backgrounds. New research facilities uniquely position ImmunoPreCept to address groundbreaking scientific questions about how health is actively maintained and how deviations from this state can be intercepted. Its transformative potential for medicine has the power to improve patient care and reduce healthcare cost.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
• Co-Applicant Institution: Freie Universität Berlin; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Participating Institution: Berlin Institute of Health (BIH); Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin (DRFZ); Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC); Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Genetik (MPIMG); Museum für Naturkunde; Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung (MfN)
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Andreas Diefenbach; Professor Dr. Nikolaus Rajewsky; Professorin Dr. Britta Siegmund
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Dieter Beule; Professor Dr. Nils Blüthgen; Professorin Dr. Angelika Eggert; Professorin Dr. Sofia K. Forslund-Startceva; Professor Dr. Simon Haas; Professor Ahmed Nabil Hegazy, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Florian Heyd; Professor Dr. Christoph Siegfried Niki Klose; Professor Dr. Gerhard Krönke; Professor Dr. Eicke Latz; Dr. Leif Ludwig; Professor Dr. Marcus Mall; Professor Dr. Alexander Meissner; Professorin Ana Pombo, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Markus Ralser; Professorin Dr. Chiara Romagnani, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Ashley Sanders, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Michael Sigal; Professor Frank Tacke, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Antigoni Triantafyllopoulou; Michela di Virgilio, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Johannes Vogel