Project Details
Projekt
Lymphatic endothelium as a new immunomodulatory target in lung transplantation
Subject Area
Pneumology, Thoracic Surgery
Term
from 2018 to 2022
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 397711363
Lymphatic endothelium and allograft rejection. Lung transplantation is the only therapeutical option for patients with end-stage lung disease. A successful transplantation improves survival and the quality of life of these patients. The limiting factor, however, is chronic rejection of the lung allograft. 30% of recipients develop bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome which is the clinical manifestation of chronic rejection. Mortality of lung transplant recipients is mainly atrributable to rejection. Current strategies to avoid rejection are limited to immunosuppressive therapy mostly on the T-cell level which is associated with a high morbidity (e.g. renal failure, infection and malignancies). Chronic rejection cannot be avoided with conventional immunosuppression. A possible alternative may be targeting the lymphatic endothelium which is involved in the initial steps of the rejection process. This strategy has already been used successfully in experimental heart transplantation. The aim of this project is 1) to analyze the role of the lymphatic endothelium in transplanted mouse lungs and 2) to study pharmacological options (e.g. blocking VEGF-3) to influence the lymphatic endothelium and thereby prevent rejection in experimental mouse lung transplantation.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
