Allergy – a cause of impaired anti-bacterial immunity in asthma and atopic dermatitis?

Atopy or allergy is an increased responsiveness (hypersensitivity) of the immune system triggered by specific immunological reactions to allergens. Allergic diseases affect many million people worldwide and better treatments are needed. An intriguing – but unanswered – question is why patients suffering from allergic diseases are also more prone to contract bacterial infections. These infections can lead to worsening of the disease and we urgently need a better understanding of what causes this. In this project we will use cutting-edge RNA sequencing analysis to study the interaction between the allergic lung and skin and detect molecular markers associated with bacterial infections. This research may improve the management of asthma and atopic dermatitis by identifying biomarkers that help us understand why patients are susceptible to bacterial infection – which may represent promising potential for future treatment targets.

Mentor:

Basic mentor: Professor Charlotte Menné Bonefeld, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen

Clinical mentor: Clinical Professor Celeste Porsbjerg, Department of Respiratory Diseases, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital