Joe Hettinger

InFLAMES Research Flagship

InFLAMES (Innovation Ecosystem based on the Immune System) is a Finnish research flagship that aims at identifying novel drug targets using the most modern technological platforms and finding novel diagnostic tools to identify the patients benefitting from personalised therapies. Behind nearly all diseases is a disturbance in the body's immunological defence. If it is too active, we develop autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes or arthritis. On the other hand, weak immune responses predispose us to cancer and serious bacterial or viral infections. The development in the field has led to drugs that affect the immune system. They either strengthen the person's own immune system or control it where it is too effective. Finnish drug development industry has introduced 22 original drugs, of which 21 have been created in Turku. Our goal is that the InFLAMES-collaboration propels the number of Finnish original drugs to new heights. In addition to developing drugs that modify the immune response in individuals, InFLAMES advances diagnostics that aim at identifying personalised treatment for each patient. This, we believe, is not accomplished alone, but in a collaboration with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. InFLAMES Flagship is a joint initiative of University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Finland. Flagship is funded by Academy of Finland.