Osteoimmunology is an emerging field combining immunology and musculoskeletal research. The interactions between bone and the immune system were recognized less than 10 years ago by the discovery of a protein termed Receptor Activator of NF-kB Ligand (RANKL). Since then, interest in this field has increased dramatically and novel insights into the mutual regulation of bone and the immune system have been achieved. Major fields of interest are the regulation of bone mass and architecture by the immune system in inflammatory diseases as well as the characterization of bone marrow as an organ required for the differentiation and survival of immune cells.

The IMMUNOBONE program is intended to develop this new field of research and to decipher key molecular, cellular and clinical mechanisms in the interplay between these two organ systems.

Current biomedical research is largely focused on the analysis of single organ systems attempting to explain its function and to reveal the changes occuring during disease. A limitation of this approach is that the relevance of hitherto unknown or poorly defined interactions between different organ systems, which at first sight appear to be unrelated, are likely to remain unrecognized.

To accomplish this, IMMUNOBONE will foster and strengthen the collaboration of leading researchers in the field of immunology, bone and cartilage biology, rheumatology, orthopaedic surgery, haematology and molecular genetics and establish a long-lasting consortium for cutting edge research in the field of osteoimmunulogy.