Kick-off Meeting sysINFLAME – A Network for Systemic Medicine for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

February 17, 2014 - 10:45
sysINFLAME

 

Today and tomorrow, the scientists in the research network sysINFLAME are meeting in Kiel for the kick-off meeting of the research organisation sponsored by the Federal German Ministry for Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung [BMBF]). This involves scientists from the University Clinics of Schleswig-Holstein, Freiburg, Regensburg and Göttingen as well as the Jacobs University of Bremen. The meeting will be chaired by Professor Dr. Stefan Schreiber from the Clinic for Internal Medicine I at the University Medical Centre of Schleswig-Holstein.

Chronic inflammatory diseases of the human barrier organs (e.g. the skin, lungs and intestines) often affect young people and lead to great suffering and a loss of quality of life. So far, the previous forms of therapy used have only managed to relieve the symptoms to a certain extent.

The aim of the new research organisation is to improve research into the many causes of these diseases, taking an overall view of all of the factors involved, in order to develop more effective therapies.

This research organisation has been set up in such a way that it includes elements for a very intensive examination of individual patients undergoing a specific form of therapy as well as collecting data on anticipated characteristic long-term courses of the disease in large patient cohorts.

The newly initiated research and support framework, e:med, is sponsored by the Federal German Ministry for Education and Research. It accelerates the system-oriented research of diseases and preventive measures by linking life and information sciences. The primary objective is to establish systemic medicine in Germany. As of December 2013, a total of 13 research organisations from the fields of oncology, cardiology, inflammation research, addiction research and neurogenetics will be sponsored throughout Germany for the next five years.