Systematic Profiling of Cytokine Responses for Targeted Treatment of Inflammatory Skin Diseases

Grantee: Thierry Nordmann, Dr. med. Dr. phil. nat. (MD/PhD), Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany

Amount: DKK 3,962,323

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2025

Geography: Germany

Chronic inflammatory skin diseases affect a quarter of the world’s population, but accurately diagnosing and effectively treating these conditions remains a challenge. This is largely because we do not fully understand how skin cells respond at the protein level to the numerous inflammatory signals. In this project, we will create such a molecular dictionary using “omic technologies”, characterizing how skin cells react to a wide range of inflammatory signals (cytokines). Just as a language dictionary allows us to interpret the meaning of words, our molecular dictionary will enable us to understand the complex language of inflammation in diagnostic biopsies of the skin. In combination with artificial intelligence, we will use this dictionary to select the optimal therapy for the individual patient suffering from an inflammatory skin disease. This has the potential to improve patient outcomes while reducing side-effects and costs of ineffective therapies.