The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding a new research group dedicated to investigating cutaneous lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease affecting the skin. A team from Bonn University Hospital (UKB) and the University of Bonn is participating in the collaborative research project “Investigating the Immunopathogenesis of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus” (FOR 6059), which is led by the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital Tübingen.
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease whose symptoms primarily or exclusively affect the skin. “Cutaneous lupus can significantly impair quality of life due to visible skin changes, particularly on the face, as well as scarring and hair loss. Many people affected by the disease also experience fatigue and exhaustion, along with concerns about possible involvement of internal organs,” says Prof. Jörg Wenzel, senior physician at the UKB’s Center for Skin Diseases. Despite the clinical significance of the disease, major gaps in our knowledge remain. This is partly because cutaneous lupus is often studied in the context of systemic lupus.
The new research group aims to address these gaps by investigating the immunopathogenesis of cutaneous lupus—that is, how the disease develops and progresses, with a particular focus on the body's immune responses. The researchers seek to gain a better understanding of the molecular and immunological mechanisms underlying the different manifestations of the disease.
To this end, the research group brings together diverse clinical, translational, and basic science perspectives. The long-term goal is to establish the foundation for more targeted therapies through a better understanding of cutaneous lupus. Researchers from various disciplines and institutions, including Bonn, are collaborating on the project.
Why does UV light trigger inflammation in cutaneous lupus?
In the Bonn subproject, a research team led by Prof. Wenzel, a member of the University of Bonn’s ImmunoSensation³ Cluster of Excellence, is working with the Tübingen team to investigate why UV light triggers inflammation in people with cutaneous lupus.
“We are particularly interested in how skin cells and the body’s own inflammatory signals interact, amplify one another, and consequently damage the skin,” explains the Bonn-based researcher. “Our experimental work is conducted exclusively using cell cultures and skin models developed in the laboratory. This allows us to make our findings more readily translatable to humans.”
Through their research, the scientists aim to better understand why cutaneous lupus erythematosus manifests differently in different individuals. In the long term, their findings could help researchers target inflammatory processes more precisely and develop new therapeutic approaches.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jörg Wenzel
Department of Dermatology and Allergology
Center for Skin Diseases
Bonn University Hospital
ImmunoSensation³ Cluster of Excellence, University of Bonn
Phone: +49 228 287-15370
Email: joerg.wenzel@ukbonn.de
