Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGBThe innate immune system has great influence on the pathogenesis or the course of diseases such as allergies, infections, tumors, or autoimmune diseases. Central regulators of the innate immune system are various classes of immune receptors. Using whole-cell biosensor assays, we identify novel immunomodulatory molecules that are potential drug candidates for the treatment of immunological diseases.
Immunoreceptors and drug screening
Receptors of the innate immune system
The receptors of the innate immune system recognize conserved molecular patterns of infectious agents, but also isolated chemical structures, and are called Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs). Stimulation of these receptors leads to the production of proinflammatory cytokines via the activation of different signaling cascades and transcription factors, thus playing an important role in the development of pathological processes in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases in humans. Among the PRRs, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the largest and most well-known family.
Therapeutic approach – Agonists and antagonists of immune receptors
Therefore, agonists and antagonists are a new therapeutic approach for immunotherapy via immunomodulators. Receptor agonists stimulate the innate immune system and are often used as drug adjuvants, while antagonists inhibit inflammatory processes. The possible indications range from allergies, infections and tumors to autoimmune diseases.
Drug screening with whole-cell biosensor assay
The use of electrochemical and optical sensors can provide structural but less functional information. The latter, however, is of great importance for pharmaceutical screening since drug effects are often very complex and can only be reduced in selected cases to simple receptor-ligand interactions. For this reason, it is necessary to include whole cells or even parts of tissues in the assay. The molecules identified using the mammalian whole-cell biosensor assay at Fraunhofer IGB represent potential drug candidates for the prevention and treatment of immunological diseases.
