The Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) will form the Hamburg site of the future German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), which will be launched as a new partner of the German Centers for Health Research on June 1. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has approved a total of 30 million euros for the two-year start-up phase, of which almost 4.8 million euros will go to Hamburg. Other DZKJ locations are Berlin, Göttingen, Greifswald/Rostock, Leipzig/Dresden, Munich and Ulm.

Childhood and adolescence are key developmental phases in a person's life. During this time, the fundamental course is set that will influence health for a lifetime. In the future DZKJ, experts from various fields of research will work together to ensure that children and adolescents receive the best possible disease detection and treatment as well as comprehensive, state-of-the-art care at every stage of development.

At the Hamburg site, the focus is on researching and treating rare genetic diseases. Research includes the identification of genetic diseases, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms, the targeted development of new therapies and the approval and introduction of new treatments. Another focus is on research into congenital neurological diseases as well as contributions to the research areas of immunology, particularly in the field of transplantation medicine, early determinants of health and disease and also psychosocial and mental health. More than 20 scientists from the relevant disciplines are involved in the Hamburg site of the DZKJ.

Prof. Marcus Altfeld, Head of the department Virus Immunology at the LIV and Director at the Institute of Immunology at the UKE, focuses on the characterization of protective immune responses against human pathogenic viruses (in particular HIV-1, hepatitis C and influenza viruses) and investigates the mechanisms by which these viruses are recognized by the immune system and attempt to evade antiviral immunity. "In the DZKJ network, my team will investigate how viral infections in childhood influence the function of the immune system," says Altfeld.

Prof. Madeleine Bunders, head of the associated LIV group Immunontogeny and Viral Infections and head of the Regenerative Medicine and Immunology Section at the UKE, is also part of the newly founded center. She researches how the immune system develops in children's organs and the mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility and pathogenesis of viral infections and inflammation-related diseases in children compared to adults. Ms. Bunders explains: “As a member of the German Center for Child and Adolescent Health, we are researching diseases in specific groups of children using the latest biomedical methods such as high-dimensional single cell and tissue analyses, which make it possible to investigate complex biological systems at the level of individual cells in tissue. Our aim is to develop age-specific and targeted therapies.”

Patients are involved in the planning and implementation of research projects

The establishment of a DZKJ-wide patient and proband cohort as well as the preparation of joint clinical studies and biobanks are important cross-sectional activities of the DZKJ sites. Children and adolescents as well as their parents are involved in the research activities and the organization of the center from the very beginning. A particular focus is on involving patients directly in the planning and implementation of research projects. The promotion of young scientists is also of particular importance. Special training and mentoring programs are to be developed as part of an overarching DZKJ Academy.

Further information can be found on the DZKJ website.