Control of cutaneous immune responses by T follicular regulatory cells in systemic autoimmunity
Grantee: Søren Degn, Associate Professor, Aarhus University
Amount: DKK 2,795,064
Grant category: Research Grants in open competition
Year: 2022
Geography: Denmark
This project, led by Søren Degn, aims to investigate the role of a newly discovered immune cell, the T follicular regulatory cell (Tfr), in controlling systemic autoimmunity.
Søren Degn and his team have discovered that Tfrs are able to maintain tolerance in the skin even in the face of systemic inflammation, which in that case appear to be reversible, but also that if Tfr control in the skin fails, the systemic inflammation becomes irreversible and chronic.
Using a mouse model where Tfrs are selectively deleted, Søren and his team will investigate immune responses and identify which specific self-antigens are targeted when the tolerance maintained by the Tfrs is lost.
Chemical compounds that impede the pathogenic effects of Staphylococcus aureus in atopic dermatitis
Grantee: Tim Tolker-Nielsen, Professor, University of Copenhagen
Amount: DKK 3,236,161
Grant category: Research Grants in open competition
Year: 2022
Geography: Denmark
The project by Tim Tolker-Nielsen aims to identify novel chemical compounds as potential drug leads for treating bacterial involvement in atopic dermatitis. The present project builds on findings from another LEO Foundation grant, which discovered a central factor, Sbi, responsible for the virulence (the ability to cause disease) of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus in atopic dermatitis flares. As this factor appears to be unique to that bacterium it can be targeted with minimal impact expected on beneficial commensal (i.e. non-pathogenic) bacteria. Tim and his team will utilize existing libraries of chemical compounds to screen for lead candidates that can prevent the production of Sbi and which may be developed into a future treatment for atopic dermatitis flares.
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