TP B3: Metabolic changes in autoimmunity

We recently established an NMR-based metabolomics platform at the Department of Chemistry (Orphanet J Rare Dis 2013 and Mech Ageing Dev 2013). The analysis of metabolites allows to identify pathways associated with disease development and may serve as a basis for the identification of novel therapeutic targets. The Department of Dermatology has a large collection of pemphigus and pemphigoid patient biomaterials as well as in vitro and in vivo models of these diseases.

Here we have combined this expertise to analyze the metabolic changes in patients, both at the time of diagnosis and during treatment. By comparing the metabolome in the respect model systems, we also intend to allocate the metabolic changes observed in patients to either the afferent or efferent phase of pemphigus and pemphigoid disease.