Program Overview

MPM 5 - Overview

The MPM 5 module focuses on the mechanistic understanding of the immune system, covering primary immunodeficiency diseases, autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, allergies, and new concepts of immune regulation. Through exemplary diseases, this module explores possible malfunctions of the human immune system, their diagnosis, and treatment strategies.

MPM 5 - Details

This module provides students with a fundamental introduction to the basics of our immune system, including innate errors of immunity, diseases caused by autoimmunity and autoinflammation, allergies, and new concepts of immune regulation. Paradigmatic immune diseases are discussed to illustrate the exact mechanisms and the contribution of our immune system, showing how precision medicine-based approaches can be used for diagnosis, disease prevention, and therapeutic purposes.

The module is divided into three parts, each including lectures and interactive Q&A and discussion sessions with the lecturers. The three parts of the module are supplemented by seminars that discuss new concepts in molecular precision medicine approaches to immunity, inflammation, and infection.

Objectives of MPM 5

• The first part aims to provide students with an overview of basic concepts and key players of the immune system, including developmental aspects.
• The second part explores the molecular and cellular basis of autoimmunity, using rheumatoid arthritis as an example, as well as diseases of the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and CNS, to show precision medicine approaches.
• The third part recognizes how the immune system can be utilized for preventive and therapeutic approaches, introducing novel cell-based therapies (CAR-T cells) and providing an introduction to prophylactic medicine, particularly vaccine strategies in the context of cancer prevention and the current coronavirus pandemic.

Module Coordinators

Wilfried Ellmeier

Wilfried Ellmeier is a Professor of Immunobiology at the Medical University of Vienna. His research investigates the molecular mechanisms regulating the development and function of T-lymphocytes (T-cells) in the immune system. Misdirected T-cells are often the cause of human diseases. Wilfried's research aims to provide important and medically relevant insights into the regulation of T-cell-mediated immunity.

Georg Stary

Georg Stary's scientific focus is on better understanding the immune system of the skin and mucous membranes to find out how diseases can be avoided or treated. During his medical studies, he researched the contribution of different immune cells in inflammatory skin diseases and their influence by various stimuli. He expanded his immunodermatological knowledge and technological skills during a several-month research stay at the dermatology clinic of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Study Program Overview

The Master's program in Molecular Precision Medicine (MPM) at the Medical University of Vienna is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases and the latest approaches in precision medicine. The program includes various modules, each focusing on different aspects of molecular precision medicine, including:

• MPM1: Chromosomes, genes, and disorders of DNA repair function
• MPM2: Diseases caused by disturbances of proteostasis
• MPM3: Disease patterns due to enzymatic insufficiencies
• MPM4: Diseases due to faulty signal transduction
• MPM5: Diseases of the immune system
• MPM6: Bioinformatics and genome medicine
• MPM7: From laboratory to patient
• MPM8: Practical training
• MPM9: Ethics, politics, legislation, and health economics

This program is tailored to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue careers in research, clinical practice, or industry, focusing on the development and application of precision medicine approaches.