German Center for Infection Research
- Speaker LMU: Prof. Dr. Michael Hoelscher
- Affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich
Speaker LMU: Prof. Dr. Michael HoelscherAffiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich
Infections are still one of the central challenges for medicine in the 21st century. How can the major infectious diseases best be contained? What can be done if germs become less and less sensitive to drugs? What are the best prevention strategies? Researchers at the German Centre for Infection Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung - DKFZ) are looking into these and other questions in 27 facilities at seven locations.
The Munich researchers are particularly interested in the topic of 'immune control of infections'. The increasing development of resistance to currently available anti-infectives (experts are already talking about the "post-antibiotic era") requires the search for new therapeutic methods. Immunotherapy in particular offers promising new approaches. Pathogen-specific immunotherapies (prophylactic or therapeutic) are aimed at strengthening the body's own defence system in order to better control or completely prevent infectious diseases. The selection of resistances can be kept low and the composition of the normal flora (microbiome) can be kept intact due to the high pathogen specificity.
Source: BMBF/DZIF