Research
Scientific Accomplishments (in Cooperation with Associates at the Department of Dermatology, University of Innsbruck and Vienna):
- Cell Biology:
- Delineation of the lysosomal system of the epidermis (1968-1974)
- Studies on the intercellular compartment of the epidermis (glycokalyx, permeability) (1968-1975)
- Pigment transfer: distribution pattern of melanosome depends on size of particles (1971-1973)
- Langerhans cells: Langerhans cells have ATPase (1963), Langerhans cells are not related to melanocytes (1966-1969), Langerhans cells are mesenchymal cells (1972), Langerhans cells bear immunological receptors (Fc,C3, Ia antigens) (1977)
- Langerhans cells fulfill a critical accessory function in the generation of CTCL (1982)
- UV effects on Langerhans cells: abrogation of allogeneic and syngeneic T cell activating and antigen presenting functions of Langerhans cells by UV (1980-1982)
- discovery and characterisation of the dendritic Thy-1+ epidermal cell system (1983)
- Langerhans cells are infected by and represent reservoir for HIV (1987, 1988)
- Cadherins in Angioneogenesis (1996)
- Discovery of the endogenous retrovirus MERV I in melanoma (2003)
- Immunodermatology:
- Demonstration of ultrastructural localization of autoantibodies and immune complexes in the skin in pemphigus, dermatitis herpetiformis, herpes gestationis, CDLE, SLE (1971-1976)
- Complement activation on intermediate sized filaments in skin cells (1982)
- Immunophenotyping in GvH (1987)
- Immunophenotyping of Histiocytosis X (1988)
- Class II alloantigen expression in epidermis (1987)
- Concept of the skin as an immune organ (1985-1992 )
- Lymphocyte homing to skin (SCID mouse model) (1996)
- Autoantibodies in erythema multiforme (1995)
- FgRII in immune complex vasculitis (1996)
- Experimental Dermatology:
- Elaboration of mouse model for erythropoietic protoporphyria (1975, 1976)
- First experimental production of staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in adult humans (1974)
- Clinical Research:
- Melanoderma in malignant melanoma (1976)
- C4 Deficiency and LE (1982)
- IF mapping of antigenic determinants in mechanobullous diseases (1981)
- Generalized atrophic benign epidermolysis bullosa (1982)
- Epiluminescence microscopy for early detection of melanoma (1987)
- Vegetating cicatricial pemphigoid (1987)
- Digitalized epiluminescence microscopy (1995)
- Therapy:
- First successful treatment of pemphigus with azathioprine (1969)
- Photochemotherapy in psoriasis and other diseases, clinical effectiveness and mechanism (PUVA) (1975-1985)
- Retinoid-PUVA-chemophotochemotherapy (1978)
- Topical immunomodulation in the treatment of skin disease 1994/95
- Topical immunosuppression by macrolides (1996)
- BCL-2 antisense therapy for melanoma (1998)
- Interferon-alpha 2a as adjuvant therapy in melanoma (1998)
- Ras antagonists for melanoma therapy (1999)
- First pharmacogenomic study in humans (psoriasis, pimecrolimus) (2002)
- Systemic, skin targeted immunomodulation (Pimecrolimus) (2002)
- Protectoin of myocardium from ischemia reperfusion injury by peptide Bb15-42, 2005.