Epigenetics are heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence. These changes can be regulated by DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs.  Within the national research collaboration SFB-F70 “HDACs as regulators of T cell-mediated immunity in health and disease” our lab studies the role of epigenetic modifications in the development of autoimmune diseases and investigates the role of bioactive compounds targeting epigenetic pathways as a novel therapeutic strategy. Our work in this research area has already led to publications characterizing the role of HDAC1 in T cells for the development of arthritis and encephalomyelitis.

Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus are caused by the inability of the immune system to distinguish between self and non-self-structures of the body leading to chronic inflammation and tissue damage. The causes of autoimmunity are complex and involve a combination of genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors and the dysregulation of immune cells. Our laboratory studies the role of different immune cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases with the ultimate goal to develop new treatment targets.

Inflammatory rheumatic disorders such as Rheumatoid Arthritis are driven by local inflammatory processes at the site of inflammation. These processes involve a crosstalk of multiple cell types in the synovial tissue that drives the activation of immune cells.  Our lab aims to understand the importance of these cellular crosstalks (structural immunity) as a driver of synovial inflammation with the goal to develop new therapeutic strategies to prevent tissue inflammation and damage. Our research in this field most recently led to our characterization of the cellular cross-talks in rheumatoid arthritis.

Our ultimate goal is to combine our experimental and clinical research into a translational approach. The key to our translational research is the conduction of investigator-initiated clinical trials to test novel and more patient-personalized treatments. To that end we have developed novel methodologies that discriminate patients at risk of developing autoimmune diseases and identify biomarkers for treatment response. Also very much embedded within this topic, check our latest review on JAKinibs a family of drugs that could greatly benefit to precision medicine in rheumatology.