Imaging Drug Discovery
Dr. Jens-Peter von Kries, Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP)Imaging techniques are becoming more and more a standard procedure in drug screening. Even screens with whole animals like living zebrafish embryos or living nematodes are used to identify bioactive compounds. The model systems often reflect disease states like in cancer or in stroke.
New treatment strategies for chronic inflammatory diseases: targeting the inflammasome by small molecules
Dr. Karoline Krause, Dept. of Dermatology, CharitéRare systemic autoinflammatory diseases (sAIDs) are characterized by abnormally increased inflammation at various organs that is mediated predominantly by the cells and molecules of the innate immune system.
SAIDs show a significant morbidity, persist for life and produce considerable long-term complications. Inflammasome activation represents the critical pathogenic mechanism shared by most sAIDs. Current (off-label) treatment strategies are limited to downstream cytokine blockade. Specific inflammasome inhibitors are not available so far. To address this unmet medical need, we performed high content screening of small molecule compounds and initiated a preclinical program to develop selective inflammasome inhibitors for prototype sAIDs. Their successful development may not only benefit patients with rare sAIDs, but could also result in better treatment options for common chronic inflammatory diseases including gout, diabetes, neurodegenerative and skin diseases.