Working group on autoimmune diseases with a focus on chronic neuropathies

At the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz, with the support of the Walter and Sibylle Kalkhof-Rose Foundation, a working group was founded on the topic of autoimmune diseases with a focus on chronic neuropathies. Members of the Academy, the Young Academy and invited experts want to contribute their experience in the fields of neurology, pharmacology, pain research, immunology, psychology, internal medicine and pathology in order to further investigate the causes of these interfering diseases, which are increasing significantly with demographic change, in order to develop ideas for new, more individualised therapies.

Autoimmune diseases are caused by the immune system targeting and damaging the body's own cells or tissues. They can affect different organs and tissues of the body. The causes of these diseases have not yet been clarified. The working group wants to focus on autoimmune diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system such as multiple sclerosis and peripheral neuropathies.

The first meeting, at which the basics of neuropathic pain were presented and discussed from a clinical perspective as well as from the perspective of basic research, took place on 26 October 2017 at the Academy of Science and Literature. A next meeting, at which the immunological aspects of the diseases in particular will be discussed, is planned for summer 2018. Important results from the commission's work are to be presented to the public in lecture events.

The working group is chaired by Elke Lütjen-Drecoll and Matthias Schwab.