Molecular profiling to unravel the pathophysiology of Sjögren`s disease
Sjögren`s disease is an understudied autoimmune disease with complex, heterogeneous symptoms and a lack of biomarkers for disease outcome. It is characterized by a chronic inflammation of exocrine glands, in particular salivary glands, and a loss of saliva producing cells. Some patients develop severe, systemic disease affecting different organs, including the lung. We are using a molecular profiling of patient-derived tissues at single cell level to unravel patient heterogeneity and to identify key cell types, molecules and pathways underlying the disease. This is complemented with functional experiments in primary human cell cultures and more complex in vitro disease models.
