FACS-based screening platform for the development of novel immunomodulatory molecules

Immunomodulation offers the possibility to influence the body's own immune defense  by increasing or decreasing the activity of the immune system. These effects can be achieved by endogenous substances or by pharmacologically active compounds that have immunostimulatory or inhibitory properties.

The possible applications range from allergies, infections and tumors to autoimmune diseases. The aim of this project is to gain a better understanding of the immunomodulatory effect of already known substances and to identify novel immunomodulators with improved therapeutic efficacy. For this purpose, different immunological methods are used, which allow the investigation of immunomodulatory effects in human whole blood samples or human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) on the basis of cytokine release and specific cell surface markers. Natural products offer an unlimited source of potential drugs for clinical research.

In order to discover novel immunomodulators from large compound libraries via high-throughput screening, a cell-based assay system using fluorescence flow cytometry will be established.