Verena Niederberger-Leppin, MD

Associate Professor of Otorhinolaryngology

ENT-Department, 8J, AKH
Medical University of Vienna
Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

Phone: +43 (0)1 40400 - 34380
FAX: +43 (0)1 25330 - 338567

E-Mail: verena.niederberger@meduniwien.ac.at

Research Interests
Clinical allergy and allergen immunotherapy, translational Research in Allergy, innovative clinical trials for allergy treatment, respiratory airways, IgE production, IgE receptors.

Abstract

Being based at an ENT department, our group has a long-term research interest in the upper respiratory airways as a site for IgE production and the regulation of the IgE response. In this context we are investigating different factors which are able to influence the permeability of the respiratory epithelium for allergens.
Furthermore, we are currently studying various aspects of CD23, the low-affinity IgE receptor, which plays an important role in IgE-facilitated allergen binding (FAB) and presentation to T cells, and has also been described to play a role in IgE regulation. Another research topic is the characterization and diagnostic use of allergen components and we are performing various clinical trials in allergic patients as a major part of our scientific work. For example we were involved in the first allergen immunotherapy study with genetically modified recombinant allergens.