Danger Response, Disturbance Factors and Regenerative Potential after Acute Trauma

Trauma as physical injury caused by an external source can occur at any place and time over the entire lifespan. Frequent inducers of accidental trauma are traffic, workplace, domestic, and sport injuries and civil, military and terroristic violence. The trauma-triggered acute danger response of the body endeavors to limit further damage and to induce healing and regeneration. However, significant complications, including systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction, may develop post trauma, particularly in the presence of numerous disturbance factors (e.g., co-morbidities, alcohol disuse). The acute response of the organisms towards the trauma considerably influences subsequent healing and regeneration of injured tissues. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are complex and still poorly understood. Clinical trauma management requires pathophysiological understanding of the trauma reaction and deduction of effective individualized therapeutic strategies.

Focusing on the most common injury patterns and major disturbance factors the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1149 aims to provide profound pathomechanistic understanding of the trauma response of the organisms and related complications for transfer into effective therapeutic trauma strategies. 

Taking advantage of clinically relevant in vitro and in vivo models and clinical investigations the different projects included in the CRC 1149 focus on:

A) better understanding the danger response after trauma on a molecular, cellular, organ, and organism level

B) elucidating the influence of major disturbance factors (co-morbidities) on the trauma response

C) defining mechanisms of the dysfunction and potential of regeneration post trauma and adapt them to trauma management

The overall goal of the CRC1149 is a deep pathophysiological understanding and integrated view of the trauma patient with the final aim of developing innovative therapies to effectively and efficiently reduce the burden of trauma for the individual and society.

The CRC 1149 was established in 2014. During the first funding period (2015 - 2018) the CRC received 11.2 million euros from the German Research Foundation (DFG). In the second funding period (2019 - 2022) the CRC was granted with 10.6 million euros. For the third and last funding period (2023 - 2026) the DFG will support the CRC with 11.1 million euros.

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