Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research

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Schweiz
Davos Dorf
Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research

SIAF performs basic and translational research in the field of allergies and asthma.

02/12/2025

We are excited to share the new published article by the Immune Metabolism research group at SIAF in collaboration with Universidad San Pablo CEU and Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia! 🎉

You can read it here: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(25)00539-7

The new article, published in Cell Reports Medicine, reveals that L-Phenylalanine plays a key role in controlling the activity and energetic metabolism use of Th2 immune cells, which are drivers of allergic diseases.

✨ Highlights of the study:
• Phenylalanine reshapes Th2 cells’ energetic metabolism
• It also slows their proliferation and dampens their activation signaling
• Allergic patients show changes in how Th2 cells transport and process Phe

This discovery helps us better understand the impact of metabolism in the development of allergy and opens new possibilities for future therapies.
Congratulations to the whole team (Abhijeet Kulkarni, Juan Rodriguez-Coira, Nino Stocker, Urszula Radzikowska, Antonio J. García-Cívico, María Isabel Delgado-Dolset, Nuria Contreras, Inés Jardón-Parages, Vanessa Sáiz Sánchez, Pilar Serrano, Elena Izquierdo, Cristina Gomez-Casado, Javier Sanchez-Solares, Carmela Pablo-Torres, David Obeso, Carmen Moreno Aguilar, Maria Luisa Espinazo, Andrzej Eljaszewicz, Jana Koch, Katja Bärenfaller, Anja Heider, Ge Tan, Damir Zhakparov, Maria M Escribese, Berta Ruiz-Leon, Cezmi Akdis, Rafael J. Argüello, Domingo Barber, Alma Villaseñor and Milena Sokolowska) for this important achievement! 👏🔬

02/12/2025

🚨 Good news, WIRM fans!

Due to high demand, we’ve extended the Early Bird registration and Abstract Submission deadline to 08 December 2025, midnight!

Submit your abstract now to be eligible for:
• 24 short talks in plenary sessions
• 72 workshop presentations
• 25 Travel Grants up to €500

Don’t miss your chance to showcase your research to the international immunology community!

Let’s make WIRM-XX unforgettable!

Here are the confirmed 27 international plenary speakers: https://www.wirm.ch/topics-speakers-talk-titles-neu/

and current program:
https://www.wirm.ch/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Preliminary-Programm_WIRM-XX.pdf

Register & submit your abstract here: https://www.wirm.ch/registration-abstracts/
🔗 https://www.wirm.ch/

Congress

25/11/2025

Dear WIRM Fans!

The Early Bird registration and Abstract Submission deadlines for WIRM-XX are approaching fast — 01 December 2025!

A timely submission will make you eligible to 24 short talks in the plenary sessions and 72 Workshop presentations.

Secure your spot, submit your abstract, and be part of the scientific program at WIRM-XX to showcase your data to the international immunology community.

Plus: 25 Travel Grants up to €500 — apply only during Early Bird! Don’t miss out!
Let’s make WIRM-XX unforgettable!
Here are the confirmed 27 international plenary speakers: https://www.wirm.ch/topics-speakers-talk-titles-neu/
and current program:
https://www.wirm.ch/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Preliminary-Programm_WIRM-XX.pdf
✨ Present your research
✨ Network with top experts
✨ Gain inspiration from renowned scientists
💸 Win a Travel Grant up to €500!
Register & submit your abstract here: https://www.wirm.ch/registration-abstracts/
🔗 https://www.wirm.ch/

Congress

20/11/2025

Exciting News for WIRM Fans - The preliminary program for WIRM-XX is here!

A huge thank you to all our experts who confirmed their keynote talks – your expertise is ensuring WIRM-XX is the place to be for cutting-edge immunology research.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the program! Register now and submit your abstract to secure your slot in one of the sessions and showcase your data to the international immunology community.

Let’s make WIRM-XX unforgettable!
✨ Present your latest research
✨ Network with top experts
✨ Gain inspiration from renowned scientists
💸 Win a Travel Grant up to €500!
Register & submit your abstract here: https://www.wirm.ch/registration-abstracts/
🔗 https://www.wirm.ch/

Congress

31/10/2025

💥 New Publication from the Immunology Group at SIAF!
Aspartame isn’t so sweet to your gut!
🧠 Published in Allergy (EAACI journal)

📄 “Cellular Stress, Inflammation and Barrier Damage in Gut Epithelial Cells Caused by Aspartame”
👉 https://doi.org/10.1111/all.70095

At daily consumption levels, aspartame triggers:
⚡ Cellular stress & inflammation
🔥 NF-κB and TNF signaling
🧬 DNA repair disruption
🧫 Epithelial barrier damage (gut-on-chip & organoids)

👏 Congrats to the whole team (first author Yağız Pat) for this impactful contribution connecting sweeteners to the Epithelial Barrier Theory.

29/10/2025

🎉 20 Years of WIRM - Be part of the anniversary edition in Davos!

🗓️ Early Bird & Abstracts open: 1 Nov – 1 Dec 2025
🎤 Submit your abstract & qualify for a presentation at WIRM
💰 Early Bird: CHF 550 (regular CHF 650) | Special rates for fellows in training
🌟 Featuring a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers

🔗 https://www.wirm.ch/registration-abstracts/

Akdis, Sokolowska, van de Veen

09/10/2025

The next WIRM – World Immune Regulation Meeting is coming closer!
From March 11–14, 2026, experts in immunology and immune regulation will gather again in Davos.
We’re looking forward to four days full of science, exchange, and new collaborations – all in the unique atmosphere of the Swiss Alps.

👉 www.wirm.ch

25/09/2023

Congratulations to Yagiz Pat, one of our postdocs, for his presentation at the EAACI Summer Symposium on Epithelial Cell Biology at Imperial College, London about the regulation of gut and skin epithelial barrier by microbiome metabolites.

The human body is colonized by a diverse microbial flora that plays an essential role in human health and disease. It is known that a healthy gut microbiota limits pathogen colonization through competition for space and nutrients, and by producing antimicrobial peptides and metabolites that promote epithelial homeostasis. However, the increased exposure to toxic substances such as emulsifiers, detergents and pollutants poses a significant threat to the gastrointestinal epithelial and skin barrier. In this context, the microbiota and their metabolites could be the key to rescuing the damaged gastrointestinal barrier. The researchers screened various gut microbiota-associated metabolites regarding their gut and skin barrier strengthening and anti-inflammatory capacities.

European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology – EAACI

24/09/2023

Congratulations to Cezmi Akdis, our director, for his presentation at the EAACI Summer Symposium on Epithelial Cell Biology at Imperial College, London about the immunological basis and level of evidence for the epithelial barrier theory.

In our daily lives, we are constantly exposed to a multitude of toxins and chemicals. According to the epithelial barrier hypothesis, many of these substances can cause damage to the delicate layer of cells that form the epithelium, which covers our skin, lungs, and intestine. The consequences of compromised epithelial barriers are far-reaching, contributing to the alarming rise of almost two billion cases of allergic, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric diseases. The scientific community recognises this as one of the three major threats to humanity, alongside global warming and climate change, as well as virus infection pandemics like COVID and Ebola.

Local damage to the skin and mucosal barriers can lead to allergic conditions, inflammatory bowel disorders, and celiac disease. It is essential to pursue research in the field of epithelial barriers, where experimental models must be developed and validated to better understand the transportation of environmental antigens. This knowledge will guide us in preventing these conditions, intervening early, and creating innovative therapies.

Website: www.epithelialbarriertheory.com

Recent Barrier Papers to better understand the "Epithelial Barrier Theory": https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-021-00538-7.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-022-00776-3.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/all.15240

A recent webinar on "Epithelial Barrier Theory and Global Health Crisis" https://youtu.be/mSFOkpXbAv4

Cezmi Akdis EAACI

24/09/2023

Congratulations to Duygu Yazici, one of our postdocs, for her insightful presentations at the EAACI Summer Symposium on Epithelial Cell Biology at Imperial College, London.
Disrupted epithelial permeability as a predictor of severe COVID-19 development

An impaired epithelial barrier integrity in the gastrointestinal tract is important in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, the authors assessed the potential of biomarkers of epithelial barrier dysfunction as predictive of severe COVID-19. The results demonstrate that biomarkers of intact or defective epithelial barriers are associated with disease severity and can provide early information on the prediction at the time of hospital admission.

Yazici, D., Cagan, E., Tan, G., Li, M., Do, E., Kucukkase, O. C., Simsek, A., Kizmaz, M. A., Bozkurt, T., Aydin, T., Heider, A., Rückert, B., Brüggen, M. C., Dhir, R., O'Mahony, L., Akdis, M., Nadeau, K. C., Budak, F., Akdis, C. A., & Ogulur, I. (2023). Disrupted epithelial permeability as a predictor of severe COVID-19 development. Allergy, 10.1111/all.15800. Advanced publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.15800

Epithelitis: barrier disruption and activation of pro-inflammatory pathways in gut epithelial cells by food emulsifiers.

Food emulsifiers are frequently used as food additives, primarily in processed foods, serving as stabilisers for emulsions. The regulations governing their usage in food are primarily based on animal studies, with a limited assessment of their molecular toxicity such as their impact on epithelial cell physiology and tissue inflammation. In this context, researchers elucidated the effects of food emulsifiers on the gut epithelial barrier using a gut-on-a-chip system, employing transcriptomics and proteomics.

European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology – EAACI

24/09/2023

Congratulations to Mohamed Shamji, Ioana Agache and Cezmi Akdis for preparing yet another EAACI Summer Symposium on Epithelial Cell Biology at Imperial College, London. It was a delightful experience full of science. We also congratulate all the SIAF members for their attendance and contributions to this wonderful event.

EAACI

23/09/2023

in Epithelial Biology Meeting in Imperial College, London organized by on how to detect skin epithelial integrity by Electric Impedancemeter (Navisense) in 2 seconds.

Adresse

Herman-Burchard-Strasse 9
Davos Dorf
7265

Telefon

+41814100848

Webseite

https://www.siaf.uzh.ch/

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