Research Report 2010 2011 - Helmholtz-Zentrum für ...

64 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS | Infection and Immunity
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
PROGRAMME SPEAKER | Prof. Dr. Dirk Heinz | Department of Molecular Structural Biology |
dih@helmholtz-hzi.de
Infections remain the third most frequent cause of deaths worldwide and hence pose a serious threat to human societies in all
hemispheres. Despite the discovery and development of antibiotics, vaccines and improved hygiene conditions, we are confronted
with the fact that many infectious diseases are re-emerging. The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance added to
globalization, climate change and growing aging populations in industrialized countries poses a continuous challenge in combating
and controlling infectious diseases of humans and domesticated animals. The infl uence of these anthropogenic factors is bestillustrated
by epidemic outbreaks of previously unknown diseases, such as novel zoonotic infections like HIV, SARS, and avian or
swine infl uenza. Moreover, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, that used to steadily decline in the past, are currently reemerging
as global threats.
In addition to the increasing occurrence of epidemic viral diseases, industrial countries are facing novel challenges in the combating
and containment of bacterial infections. With the advances in modern medicine, the number of immunosuppressed patients highly
susceptible to opportunistic infections (e.g. transplantation patients or those under intensive care) is growing, and a high susceptibility
to infection is observed in the ageing population as a result of an age-related decline in the body’s immune defences. Furthermore,
resistance against virtually all antibiotics presently on the market poses an immense burden on health systems. Novel strategies
for diagnosis, prevention and therapy of infectious diseases are therefore essential for controlling these threats to public health.
The HZI, its subsidiary institute, the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), and its associated institute
TWINCORE (Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research) together tackle a number of the most important questions in
infection research by building a strong basis in fundamental research and applying this knowledge to develop new strategies for
prevention and therapy of microbial infections for translation into public health benefits. They have set up the Helmholtz programme
“Infection and Immunity”, which comprises fi ve areas of infectious disease research refl ected in the topics
• Microbial Pathogenesis
• Host-Pathogen Interactions
• Infl ammation and Immunity
• Strategies for Prevention and Therapy
• Pharmaceutical Research
The former topic “Translational Infection Research” has become a cross-topic activity since it is highly relevant to all fi ve topics.
The complete infrastructure and expertise necessary to plan, prepare and conduct clinical trials has been developed together with
the Hannover Medical School (MHH). Currently a clinical trial centre for early clinical trials is being set up as a collaborative effort
by the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), MHH and HZI.