Our Scientific Vision

Putting the intersection of ageing and environmental insults “under the microscope” to stop chronic inflammatory diseases.

The incidence of many chronic inflammatory diseases increases with age and they are recognized as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Major risk factors for their development are ageing and environmental insults (Peters et al, 2021; López-Otín et al, 2023). Considering the continuous ageing of our society and the progressing pollution of our environment, the medical need for effective treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases ranks among the central issues of future health care. In addition, the elderly are among the groups most vulnerable to environmental changes.

Notably, the hallmarks of ageing and environmental insults show phenotypic overlaps (Fig. 1), raising the question of whether both can act synergistically to trigger chronic inflammation or drive each other in this context.

To answer these questions and understand how ageing and environmental stress promote chronic inflammatory diseases, we focus our research on COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). The development of this age-related lung disease is closely linked to air pollution, and it is currently the third leading cause of death worldwide, with limited therapeutic options - we want to change that. To this end, we put the following overlaps between the hallmarks of ageing and environmental insults “under the microscope” to identify mechanistic links that can be therapeutically addressed: stem cell regeneration capacity, epigenetic alterations, altered intercellular communication & dysbiosis.

This approach may further enable us to distinguish between ageing and age-related disease phenotypes & the underlying molecular mechanisms, providing the basis for preventive and age-specific therapeutic interventions.