In 2008 the Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI) was founded as one of the five research centers of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz. It brings together scientists of the faculties of medicine, biology and chemistry of the Johannes Gutenberg University in the field of immunology. Hereby exists a close connection between clinical and fundamental sciences. Based on a better understanding of immunological diseases there should be developed new therapeutical options for infections, autoimmune diseases, allergies and cancer.
The research field of the FZI is based on the clinical investigation that on one side hyper-reactivity against environmental and disease-specific antigens causes allergies and autoimmune diseases. On the other hand innate and adaptive immune deficiencies require the risk against infections and malign diseases. The linking attribute of those common diseases is the dysregulated immune system. Especially the complex mechanisms at inflammation, tumorgenesis and the pathogen-host-interaction form a non solved task for fundamentally orientated and clinical immunologists. Therefor it is the main aim and from essential importance for the research groups of the FZI to understand the immunological principles and their dysregulation in case of the developement of diseases.
