Immunophysics is a novel interdisciplinary research field using immunological, biological, physical and chemical approaches to elucidate and modify immune-mediated mechanisms and to expand our knowledge on the pathomechanisms of chronic immune-mediated diseases such as
arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
,
inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammation, inflammatory conditions of the colon (anatomy), colon and small intestine, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis being the principal types. Crohn's disease affects the small intestine a ...
,
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
and chronic
infection
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...
s.
Background
Immune reactions are tightly regulated and usually self-limited. Dysregulation can result in chronic inflammatory diseases (immunochronicity). In addition to biochemical molecular mechanisms, physical factors influence the
immune system
The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splinte ...
. Such components include:
* Microenvironmental factors like tonicity, pH, oxygen pressure and the redox status of immune cells
* Mechanical factors, such as tissue pressure, cellular stiffness and cell motility
* Cell membrane physics such as membrane composition and particles
The research field of immunophysics aims to investigate the influence of these physicochemical parameters on the function of the immune system in health and disease.
Methods
Immunophysical techniques include
nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, most commonly known as NMR spectroscopy or magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), is a spectroscopic technique to observe local magnetic fields around atomic nuclei. The sample is placed in a magnetic fiel ...
,
magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio wave ...
(MRI), dual-energy computed tomography,
fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy
Fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy or FLIM is an imaging technique based on the differences in the exponential decay rate of the photon emission of a fluorophore from a sample. It can be used as an imaging technique in confocal microscopy, t ...
,
multispectral optoacoustic tomography
Multi-spectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT), also known as functional photoacoustic tomography (fPAT), is an imaging technology that generates high-resolution optical images in scattering media, including biological tissues. MSOT illuminates ...
(MSOT), high-throughput microfluidic cytometry,
(iSCAT) and
cryogenic optical localization in 3D (COLD).
Applications
Immunophysical research is considered to open new perspectives for the investigation of the pathomechanisms of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, help to develop novel detection methods and diagnostic tools in these diseases and advance the treatment possibilities of such diseases.
See also
*
Inflammation
Inflammation (from la, wikt:en:inflammatio#Latin, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or Irritation, irritants, and is a protective response involving im ...
References
External links
Department of Medicine 3, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-NürnbergDepartment of Medicine 1, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-NürnbergInstitute of Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-NürnbergDepartment of Infection Biology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-NürnbergDepartment of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
BioMolecular Modeling & Design Laboratory{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519003743/http://www.engr.ucr.edu/~dmorikis// , date=2018-05-19
Branches of immunology
Medical physics