About EpiFlaMe P02:
The project will systematically characterize inflammatory memory induced by acute or chronic stimulation in non-hematopoietic structural cells and myeloid cells across tissues in vivo.

Inflammatory memory exists across tissues, but the diversity and associated mediators of this process have yet to be fully defined. In this project, we will deconvolute complex immune response and assess the impact of key inflammatory mediators (IL-6, TNF) on the chromatin organization and transcriptional activity in structural cells compared to myeloid cells across tissues. We will uncover tissue-specific functional changes in structural cells and myeloid cells in response to acute stimulation and dissect similarities as well as differences to chronic treatment and thus, identify potential regulators of inflammatory memory. We will validate our findings using in vitro and in vivo models (e.g. infection and / or CRC) in combination with molecular and genetic strategies to elucidate the interplay of inflammatory memory and disease.

This project will advance our understanding of cell-type-specific and organ-specific memory formation in structural cells, suitable to explore immune functions of structural cell as potential therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases and tumor formation.

Keywords: Systems immunology, inflammation, high-throughput technologies, in vivo models