Why Diseases Return

A new Collaborative Research Center investigates the mechanisms of autoimmune diseases and innovative cell-based therapies

Autoimmune diseases often follow a relapsing course: periods without signs of disease are interrupted by flare-ups, despite significant advances in treatment. Why these relapses occur and how pathological immune processes can be permanently altered are among the central questions addressed by the new Collaborative Research Center 1755, “Cellular and Systems Control of Autoimmune Disease” (CASCAID). Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen are combining their expertise in medicine, immunology, imaging, artificial intelligence, and biomedical engineering. Their goal is to gain a fundamentally deeper understanding of chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and inflammatory bowel disease, and to develop therapies that not only control inflammation but permanently stop disease activity.

A New Perspective: Sustainable Therapeutic Approaches

At the heart of the initiative is a shift in perspective: rather than suppressing disease symptoms, CASCAID focuses on innovative treatment approaches such as CAR T-cell therapy, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and T-cell engagers, which can lead patients with autoimmune diseases into a disease-free state in which long-term medication is no longer required. Particular attention is being paid to their effects in different tissues and whether they can help restore the immune system to its natural balance.

A key feature of the consortium is the close integration of basic research and clinical application. Large patient cohorts, tissue analyses, and detailed methods for investigating tissues and cells provide the data foundation, while innovative therapeutic approaches such as CAR T-cell therapies and regulatory T cells are being studied in parallel clinical trials. The aim is to translate scientific insights into new treatment options more rapidly.

“We want to understand the mechanisms that lead to relapses and use this knowledge to develop new therapeutic approaches,” says the spokesperson of the Collaborative Research Center, Prof. Dr. med. univ. Georg Schett, Director of the Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen. “Our goal is to fundamentally advance the treatment of autoimmune diseases.”

Making Science Accessible: IMMUNOVERSE

A distinctive feature of the consortium is the combination of this biomedical research with innovative approaches to science communication and gamification within a collaborative project between Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg. Together, the partners are developing medical learning games that not only convey knowledge but are themselves the subject of scientific investigation. The focus is on understanding the learning outcomes achieved by such game-based formats and their influence on behavior, motivation, and active engagement with medical topics. This research explores how digital games can not only communicate scientific findings but also shape learning and decision-making processes.

Another major focus is on participatory approaches aimed at involving patients more closely in research processes. Through the digital platform IMMUNOVERSE, a space is being created in the metaverse to educate people about the immune system and current inflammation research while also serving as a place for exchange and interaction. The goal is to develop new forms of collaboration between researchers and those affected by disease, and to align scientific insights more closely with patients’ experiences and perspectives.