German Research Foundation approves new Clinical Research Group

They are quiet - and in many cases fatal: systemic inflammatory reactions such as sepsis are the third most frequent cause of death in Germany. Despite the high number of cases worldwide of about 19 million per year, there are still large gaps in the understanding of the underlying disease processes as well as in the development of treatment options. A new scientific network at the University of Münster has set itself the goal of closing some of these gaps: The clinical research group entitled "Organdysfunktion im Rahmen systemischer Inflammationssyndrome" (Organ Dysfunction in the Context of Systemic Inflammation Syndromes) is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with around four million euros over a period of three years. The work of the KFO342 - as the interdisciplinary group is known in the DFG register - should ultimately lead to the development of new therapy options for patients affected. For this, however, a causal understanding of the disease processes is indispensable. The Clinical Research Group's basic understanding is that successful research in the field of systemic inflammatory reactions must be seen as a joint task between basic researchers and clinicians. The scientists' focus is on the molecular, immunological and cellular signalling pathways relevant for inflammatory reactions and subsequent organ failure.