SFB 587:  Immunreactions of the Lung in Infection and Allergies

• Subject Area: Medicine ; Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
• Term: from 2002 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5485326

In section A the projects are focused on the molecular interactions between microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi) and the cells of the trachea, bronchi and lung. The role of the fusion protein of the respiratory syncytial virus interacting with epithelial cells of the respiratory tract is being studied. In another project the glycoprotein of influenza virus C will be used for gene transfer in differentiated epithelial cells. Three bacteria are used as tools in other studies: the expression of genes of Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia in the different phases of infection, virulence factors of Streptococcus suis in respect to the bacterium-host interaction and the relevance of the molecular mechanisms of the adherence of Streptococcus pneumoniae for mucosal or systemic vaccination strategies. The lung pathogen fungus Aspergillus fumigatus and its interactions with immune cells of the respiratory tract are being studied in the final project.
In section B the main aim is the investigation of the role of different cells of the immune system (lymphocytes, dendritic cells and eosinophilic granulocytes) in different infections and allergic disease models as well as in humans. The role of chemokine and neurotrophin receptors in allergy and inflammation of the lung is focused on in further projects. In volunteers and patients the interaction of environmental toxic agents with allergic reactions of the lung as well as the surfactant system of the lung will be studied by using different, well-controlled inhalation systems.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres

Completed projects

• A01 - The fusion protein of respiratory syncytial virus and its interaction with respiratory epithelial cells (Project Head Herrler, Georg )
• A02 - Entwicklung viraler Vektoren für den gentherapeutischen Einsatz in der Lunge (Project Head Zimmer, Gert )
• A04 - Die Genexpression von Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae im Verlauf der porcinen Pleuropneumonie (Project Head Gerlach, Gerald-Friedrich )
• A05 - Pathomechanisms of Streptococcus suis in the respiratory tract (Project Heads Goethe, Ralph ;  Valentin-Weigand, Peter )
• A6 - Aufklärung der Mechanismen der Anheftung. Kolonisation und Penetration von Streptococcus pneumoniae in Lungenepithelzellen (Project Head Hammerschmidt, Sven )
• A7 - Protektive Immunität bei bakteriellen Infektionen des Respirationstraktes: Vergleichende Analyse mukosaler und systemischer Immunisierungsstrategien (Project Head Steinmetz, Ivo )
• A8 - Molekulare Mechanismen der Protektion und deren Regulation des lungen-pathogenen Pilzes Aspergillus fumigatus gegen Immuneffektorzellen (Project Head Brakhage, Axel )
• A09 - Functional analysis of novel determinants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to mediate the colonization, invasion and persistence in the respiratory tract (Project Head Tümmler, Burkhard )
• A11 - The role of arginine and lactate utilization and of fermentation of acetate for growth and persistence of´ Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the lung (Project Head Bange, Franz-Christoph )
• A12 - Characterization of pulmonary host defense mechanisms in chronic lung disease (Project Heads Maus, Ulrich A. ;  Welte, Tobias )
• A13 - Mechanisms of latency and of reactivation of cytomegalovirus in the lungs (Project Head Messerle, Martin )
• A16 - The complement system in a mouse model of Chlamydia-dependent pneumonia (Project Head Klos, Andreas )
• A18 - Studies on the link between Alpha1-Antitrypsin, inflammation and development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Project Head Janciauskiene, Sabina-Marija )
• B01 - Induktion von lymphatischen Gewebe und Regulation von Lymphozytensubpopulationen für Immunreaktionen der Lunge (Project Head Pabst, Reinhard )
• B2 - Regulation von Chemokinrezeptoren auf eosinophilen Granulozyten beim allergischen Asthma bronchiale (Project Head Elsner, Jörn )
• B03 - The role of homeostatic chemokine receptors on the migration of immune cells through the respiratory tract and during infectious diseases of the bronchi and the lung (Project Head Förster, Reinhold )
• B04 - Neuroimmune interactions in allergic asthma (Project Head Braun, Armin )
• B05 - Dendritic cells in the lung regulating the immunological balance in allergy and infection (Project Head Behrens, Georg )
• B08 - Interaction between allergic inflammation and the pulmonary surfactant system in asthma (Project Head Hohlfeld, Jens )
• B09 - Cellular interference of the allergic inflammation in asthma (Project Head Krug, Norbert )
• B10 - Analysis of coordinate C5aR-FcyR activation in acute lung inflammation (Project Head Gessner, Johannes Engelbert )
• B11 - Einfluss von CD26 auf T zellabhängige allergische Prozesse (Project Heads von Hörsten, Stephan ;  Schmiedl, Andreas ;  Stephan, Michael )
• B12 - Studies on immune regulation in acute and chronic CD4+ T cell-mediated pulmonary disease (Project Head Bruder, Dunja )
• B13 - Funktion von G-Protein-gekoppelten Rezeptoren der VIP-Familie bei allergischem Asthma bronchiale (Project Heads Braun, Armin ;  Groneberg, David )
• B14 - Development, maintenance and loss of tolerance against allergens in a murine asthma model (Project Head Hansen, Gesine )
• B15 - Role of regulatory immune cells during allergic airway inflammation (Project Head Sparwasser, Tim Dominik )
• B16 - The role of ORMDL genes and genetic variants in lung immunology and asthma development (Project Head Kabesch, Michael )
• B17 - Role of the histamine H4-receptor in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma (Project Head Seifert, Roland )
• B18 - Der Methionin/Threonin-11-Polymorphismus des Surfactantprotein D und MicroRNA-abhängige Effekte auf den Verlauf von Asthma und Pneumonie (Project Heads Ochs, Matthias ;  Thum, Ph.D., Thomas )
• N01 - N01 - Polysensibilisierung - Ansätze im Mausmodell zum besseren Verständnis (Project Head Dittrich, Anna-Maria )
• N02 - Interaktion des HIV Hüllproteins mit zellulären Membranproteinen (Project Head Pöhlmann, Stefan )
• Z - Zentrale Aufgaben - Verwaltung des SFB (Project Head Pabst, Reinhard )
• Z01 - Zentrale Aufgaben des Sonderforschungsbereichs (Project Heads Hansen, Gesine ;  Pabst, Reinhard )
• Z02 - Lung function measurements (Project Heads Braun, Armin ;  Hoymann, Ph.D., Heinz-Gerd )

• Applicant Institution: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
• Participating Institution: Fraunhofer-Institut für Toxikologie und Experimentelle Medizin (ITEM); Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI)
• Participating University: Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover
• Spokespersons: Professorin Dr. Gesine Hansen, since 7/2009; Professor Dr. Reinhard Pabst, until 6/2009