This multi-center project aims to disentangle protective immune regulatory mechanisms for atopic asthma in childhood in environmentally distinct areas. The unique natural exposure to two environments in Europe and China strongly protecting from childhood asthma offers the great opportunity to assess the interplay of the innate and adaptive immune system. This project will provide a profound basis for future immunological studies on allergic asthma in all three countries through establishment and exchange of expertise and immunological techniques. It also represents an unparalleled chance to understand the immune mechanisms underlying the protection from asthma, which are critical for any future development of preventive strategies.
Development of the ACQ-IA questionnaire for asthma control (developed by Prof. Juniper) for german children with asthma, in collaboration with Prof. Juniper.
The project investigates T regulatory responses in the development of atopic diseases during farm exposure in childhood.
CHAMP - CHildhood Allergy and tolerance: bioMarkers and Predictors
Funded by German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Duration: 2017-2021
Coordinator: Prof. Bianca Schaub, Munich, Germany
Partners: Prof. Erika von Mutius, Munich
Prof. Wolfgang Greiner, Bielefeld
Prof. Kirsten Beyer, Berlin
Prof. Eckard Hamelmann, Bielefeld
Prof. Michael Kabesch, Regensburg
Prof. Gesine Hansen, Hannover
Project Summary:
The CHAMP Consortium investigates the determinants of different allergic diseases (food allergy, atopic dermatitis, asthma, hay fever) across the whole pediatric age range. Particular attention will be given to factors determining primary tolerance (no onset of disease) and acquired tolerance (remission of existing disease). We will identify clinically relevant biomarkers predicting early onset, progression and remission. As main results, we aim to define a molecular allergy score early in life predicting subsequent allergy risk, to identify predictors of natural tolerance of food allergy and to examine underlying mechanisms in murine models of allergy development with focus on early tolerance induction. We aim to predict mild versus severe allergic diseases, to identify relevant biomarkers and to predict remission of asthma and hay fever. Furthermore/ we will analyse HRQoL of patients and quality of life (QoL) of their parents across different allergic diseases, different disease stages and various age groups.
This consortium has the unique opportunity to assess the development and remission of childhood allergies at all stages of childhood immune and organ development. Adding new insight to the puzzle of early onset, natural tolerance and remission of different allergic diseases from birth to adolescence will lay the ground for future development of preventive strategies. In the long term, this shall contribute to open up novel avenues for therapeutic options. This clearly will make an impact on the life of our patients and their families.
In terms of disease incidence and mortality, lung diseases are ranked second in the world and are directly or indirectly responsible for every fifth death. The annual cost of lung diseases amounts to 102 billion euros alone for Western Europe. It is expected that the number of patients and thus also the costs will continue to rise in the coming years. To date, there are no cures for most respiratory diseases – just symptomatic treatments. For these reasons it is even more important to conduct research to develop new approaches and options for prevention, diagnosis and therapy. In the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), the leading German research institutes have therefore joined together to combat the most important lung diseases through translational research.
http://www.dzl.de/
Collaboration with Prof. Frey, Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, University Childrens Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
The highly inter-disciplinary EFRAIM project will prospectively investigate the main protective factors in early life influencing thedevelopment of allergies in birth cohorts conducted in allergy protective environments in five European countries. These birth cohorts have been enrolling over 1,000 children and have collected detailed information on the onset of allergic illnesses, objective measures of allergies and a vast amount of information about a number of environmental exposures. Large biobanks with a variety of biological samples have been established. In the EFRAIM project particular attention will be given to the potential role of dietary exposures, lifestyle and other environmental (e.g. microbial) exposures early in life which are causal determinants rather than triggers of the illness. The mechanisms mediating these protective exposures such as the maturation of immune responses, gut colonisation, the mucosal barrier function and the genetic and epigenetic factors interacting with the environmental exposures will be investigated. The knowledge about protective exposures early in life can be turned into the development of preventive strategies. The EFRAIM project will actively address two routes of preventive interventions in animal models and in vitro studies: the development of an allergy protective milk formula and the development of an allergy vaccine. Both approaches are based on knowledge gained in the human studies. The EFRAIM project is expected to produce ground-breaking new insights on protective agents and their mechanisms that can be used to prevent the further development of allergies.
> Erika.Von.Mutius@med.lmu.de
http://www.efraim-online.com/
Identification of novel immune mechanism for childhood asthma: investigation of immune-regulatory networks in interaction with epigenetic and genetic mechanisms
One GALTRAIN fellow receives training in immunology in the laboratory of Allergy-Immunology investigating regulation of Th17 cells in the development of atopic diseases in childhood.
This is a prospective cord blood study in rural southern Germany and aims to assess the influence of environmental, lifestyle factors and genetic background on neonatal immune responses. A selection of different immune responses in cord blood mononuclear cells is investigated in association with lifestyle factors and atopic history of the parents. These data are assessed by standardized questionnaires around birth. Genetic information will be available from the neonates and mothers (DNA extraction). The objective of this birth cohort is to foster the understanding of protective mechanisms for the development of childhood asthma and allergies. A follow-up until the age of 10 years is currently performed. The results of this study will potentially guide future preventive studies with microbial substances in childhood.
Bianca.Schaub@med.uni-muenchen.de
PAULINA is a prospective cord blood study in Munich (in cooperation with the obstetric clinic, LMU Munich, Maistrasse), funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and investigates the effect of microbial stimulation of cord blood cells on distinct cellular immune responses.
Main focus:
Characterization of the phenotype and function of cord blood cells in the context of microbial stimulation. Early exposure to microbial substances is associated with a lower risk of atopy in childhood. A follow-up until the age of 10 years is currently performed. The identification of underlying immunological mechanisms and interactions of different cell populations in early life in association with a selection of epidemiological data may contribute to protective possibilities in the development of atopic diseases. This could help to elucidate strategies for prevention, e.g. as vaccines or novel therapeutic options in atopic diseases.
Bianca.Schaub@med.uni-muenchen.de
The project of PD Dr. Bianca Schaub examines the mechanisms of immune regulation in the development of asthma in childhood.
http://www.allergie-lunge.de/
Bianca.Schaub@med.uni-muenchen.de