Biomarkers play an important role in the prevention, diagnosis and in personalized treatment of diseases. Our innovative projects CoVnasal, CoVaKo and Early-Opt-COVID-19 contribute to the advancement of a medicine that can offer tailor-made treatments to patients.

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CoVnasal

(Establishment of nasal biomarkers in SARS-CoV-2 infections for severity classification and immunity assessment)

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Nasal immune response is the first line of defense against airborne viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, that infect the respiratory tract. However, in most publications, the strength of systemic immunity is measured in serum. Currently, there is no information on whether antibody concentrations in serum represent immunity as well as in the nose. Nasal biomarkers for disease severity would be an ideal solution for selecting patients for the antiviral therapy, as they can be measured simultaneously with PCR testing, which can be used immediately for this personalized medicine approach. In the future, this analysis can be used, especially for children.

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CoVaKo

(Corona-Vaccine Consortium)

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A scientific project funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Art to investigate the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, the aim of the project is to record essential aspects of the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines as well as the course of possible breakthrough infections as soon as possible. The project is being carried out at the six Bavarian university hospitals in Augsburg, Munich (LMU and TUM), Erlangen, Würzburg and Regensburg.

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Early-Opt-COVID19

(Early Immune Biomarkers for Optimization of COVID19)

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COVID-19 patients present a versatile range of severity, from asymptomatic, through debilitating symptoms and up to critical conditions requiring hospitalization and oxygen support. Recently, we identified cytokine combinations, measured at the day of hospitalization, that predict COVID-19 severity and mortality with high accuracy [Dorgham et al, J App Clin Immunology, 2021]. However, it is not known if this prediction could be applied at an earlier stage before hospitalization. Furthermore, no information is currently known to predict the development of symptomatic disease. Therefore, in prospective observational longitudinal study, we will collect clinical and laboratory data to study the immune kinetics in response to SARS-Cov-2 infection, with the aim to identify early biomarkers for COVID-19 severity and its association with other clinical, nutritional and environmental factors.

IMPROVE (Identification of Biomarkers for Post Viral and Post Vac Diseases)

The aim of the project is to develop a fundamentally improved understanding of post-vaccination syndrome, a complex disease that can be triggered by vaccinations with or without prior viral infection or by a combination of several factors.

In close collaboration with the Post-Vac Outpatient Clinic of the 新万博体育下载_万博体育app【投注官网】 Outpatient Clinic for Environmental 新万博体育下载_万博体育app【投注官网】icine and the associated REFORME registry, typical biomarkers that correlate with pronounced symptoms will be identified. On this basis, we aim to develop predictive markers with prognostic relevance.

At the same time, patients with post-vaccination and post-COVID syndrome will be examined comparatively at the cellular and immunological level. The aim is to gain a better understanding of key pathomechanisms—a crucial step toward developing targeted and personalized therapies in the future.

One thing is clear: developing effective treatment approaches will take several years, sometimes even decades. But without a scientifically sound starting point, it will never be possible to understand these diseases at the molecular level, decipher disease-relevant signaling pathways, and derive therapeutically useful target structures. This is the only way to develop long-term effective and specific therapies.

By looking at post-vaccination and post-COVID diseases together, we're getting a comprehensive picture of the long-term biological and clinical effects after infection and/or vaccination for the first time—which is key for future medical care.

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REFORME (Resilience, Research, Rehabilitation, and Mechanisms of Recovery)

The aim of the study is to implement a registry that collects data from individuals suffering from health impairments in the sense of post-vaccination symptoms triggered by vaccinations or viral infections or a combination of several factors. The registry aims to stratify existing data, identify biomarkers, and develop predictive models for the prevention and targeted treatment of post-vaccination syndrome.

The research project will focus in particular on the stratification of patients. This stratification will be carried out through careful categorization, in which patients will be divided into subgroups based on various variables. These variables include specific symptoms, the severity of the disease, existing biomarkers, and the individual course of the disease. A key objective of this categorization is to identify patterns and correlations that could indicate specific risk groups. These findings are crucial for identifying patient groups that may be at increased risk of developing or worsening post-vaccination syndrome.