Current research Projects and Funding Agencies

  • The Effect of Traditional European Farming on the Immunoproteasome (O Fuchs)
    Aim: To assess the effect of traditional European Farming on immunoproteasome activity and its relation to protection from allergies and asthma Funded by Else Kröner Foundation
  • Food Allergy treatment with Butyrate (O Fuchs, R Frei, C Roduit)
    Aim: To induce temporary hyporesponsiveness or even sustained unresponsiveness to food allergens using short-chained fatty acids in addition to oral immunotherapy Funded by CK-Care
  • Prospective Surveillance of lung development during childhood, adolescence and adulthood in health and patients with cystic fibrosis (Ramsey, Frauchiger, Rodriguez, Latzin)
    Aim: To assess prospectively the clinical utility of multiple breath washout (MBW) and magnetic resonance tomography (MP-MRI) in the longitudinal clinical surveillance of patients with CF. Funded by SNF.
  • Early Environmental and Maternal Determinants of Airway Inflammation in Wheezing Disorders in Infants (BILD) (Fuchs, Yammine, Latzin)
    Aim: To better understand the complex interactions of predisposing risk factors for impaired lung development and respiratory diseases. Funded by SNF.
  • Cord blood innate lymphoid cells: Impact of environmental and maternal factors on cord blood innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and association of cord blood ILCs with respiratory health (nested study in the BILD) (Müller)
    Aim: To investigate the impact of air pollution and maternal factors on the different ILC population in the cord blood and to study the importance of ILCs for the respiratory health of children. Funded by Spezialprogramm Pädiatrie Children's University Hospital Basel.
  • Importance of toll-interacting protein (TOLLIP) and the protein mucin 5B (MUC5B) for the response of respiratory epithelial cells to viral infections and the impact of air pollution exposure (nested study in the BILD) (Müller)
    Aim: To investigate the importance of TOLLIP and MUC5B on the response of respiratory epithelial cells to a viral infection and how air pollution exposure may affect this Response.
  • Impact of Early Lung Physiology, Viral Infections and the Microbiota on the Development and Progression of Lung Disease in Children with Cystic Fibrosis (SCILD) (Ramsey, Frauchiger, Latzin)
    Aim: Identification of early life predictors of disease progression in children with CF. Funded by SNF and CFCH.
  • Quality control of MBW measurements: Feasibility in two centers (Frauchiger, Ramsey)
    Funded by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and SNF.
  • Comparison of different pulmonary function tests in children with neuromuscular disease and evaluation of changes in ventilation distribution using mechanical insufflation/exsufflation (Casaulta)
    Aim: Investigation of the correlation between Forced Vital Capacity and SNIP in children with progressive NMD and to get physiological insights into the effects of the insufflator/exsufflator technique applied to paediatric patients with NMD. Funded by Swiss Foundation for Research on Muscle Disease.
  • Respiratory epithelial cells from patients with cystic fibrosis to develop a personalized ex vivo drug screening (Müller)
    Aim: To test the feasibility of airway epithelial cell cultures (2D, 3D, organoids) to develop a personalized ex vivo drug screening approach for patients with CF. Funded by Bangerter-Rhyner foundation.
  • Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD): Refine PCD diagnostics using re-differentiated air-liquid interface cell cultures of nasal epithelial cells , understand the mechanisms responsible for reduced nitric oxide levels, and characterization of the Swiss PCD population (Casaulta, Müller, Latzin) Aim: To improve PCD diagnostics using air-liquid interface cell cultures, understand the mechanisms responsible for reduced nasal nitric oxide levels, and characterize the known PCD patients in Switzerland. Funded by Berner Lungenliga.
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