European Center for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) awards prize for research

Award winner Dr. Christoph Tripp and Prof. Marcus Maurer

The European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) has awarded the €5000 "ADF/ECARF Award for European Research" to the biologist Dr. Christoph Tripp of the University of Innsbruck, for his work on "Cross-presentation of protein via Langerhans cells and dermal dentritic cells." Dr. Tripp’s research results will aid the development of new allergy treatments. The award was presented during the annual meeting of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dermatologische Forschung (ADF), which took place from 28 February - 1 March 2008 in Erlangen.

The skin’s dendritic cells (Langerhans and dermal dendritic cells) are responsible for protecting the body when pathogens enter via the skin. These cells also play a role in the development of allergies. Dr. Tripp and his colleagues were able to show that Langerhans cells, via a so-called cross-presentation, can directly trigger defenses against viruses and tumors. The prizewinning study investigated whether dermal dendritic cells, which are deeper under the skin, trigger a similar immune reaction. 

Experiments with allergenic proteins showed functional differences between langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells as triggers of immune reactions. The quality of the immune reaction depended upon the delivery method of the proteins (either injected into the skin, or applied to the skin in a cream). The experiments also showed that bacteria in the organism, e.g. and infection, suppress an effective immune response in the skin. These discoveries are important for allergology, because they show immune response can fail under some circumstances, depending on which type of dendritic cell handles an allergen. 

Dr. Tripp’s work is important not only for understanding how allergies develop, but also for allergen immunotherapy, a type of allergy treatment in which a patient is gradually made immune to an allergen. Direct influence on these cell types will be important in improving the efficacy of immunotherapy.

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