Inga Koneczny successfully secures Horizon Europe Grant

Bild: MedUni Wien/feelimage - The project comprises an international consortium of researchers from Austria, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Turkey and Italy. The funding amounts to 2.6 million euros, 0.54 million euros of which has been allocated to MedUni Vienna. IgG4 autoimmune diseases (IgG4-AID) are rare, yet represent a significant group of serious diseases overall, affecting many different organs, e.g. skin, brain, nerves and kidneys in patients who often fail to respond to current treatments. Examples of IgG4-AID include MuSK myasthenia gravis, pemphigus vulgaris, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, or certain forms of autoimmune encephalitis. IgG4-AID share similar features indicating a comparable underlying immunopathogenesis, making a common approach to identify new therapeutic targets and test new treatment strategies possible and necessary. Inga Koneczny and her colleagues assume that genetic risk factors and an impaired immune response can lead to increased susceptibility to the production of antibodies against the body's own proteins. These belong to a special subclass called IgG4, which is normally harmless but can cause illness in these patients by interfering with normal functions in the body.