Immune Regulation Diagnostics (IRD) Research Group​

Description

The research aims at the identification of cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie (chronic) inflammatory processes and related tissue remodeling and organ dysfunction. Being a staff member of the Laboratory Medical Immunology (LMI) another more specific goal is to use this information to guide the development of (novel) diagnostic and protective measures to be used in the clinic. There is a strong focus on ocular disease, including a.o. Graves’ ophthalmopathy, uveitis (TB-associated and auto-immune) and retinal disorders including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. In addition there are several research lines on other immune diseases, including immune dysregulation/immunodeficiency disorders, sarcoidosis and IgG4-related disease The studies use various types of patient tissue and make extensive use of in vitro approaches as well as ex vivo approaches (for instance tissue cultures in the presence and absence of specific drugs) to study the mechanistic aspects of disease and to identify druggable targets and suitable drugs. The research is performed in a multi-disciplinary setting together with medical specialists and scientists from different (medical) fields, both national and international. (Description adapted from working group website: see link above) ​