(Vienna, 30 October 2026) Allergic diseases are on the rise worldwide and can often only be treated inadequately and symptomatically. A new Christian Doppler Laboratory has now been opened at MedUni Vienna to research new, innovative treatment options. The research facility is headed by Philipp Starkl from the Department of Medicine I at MedUni Vienna.
Allergies are a global health problem, affecting hundreds of millions of people. Allergic individuals have developed an adaptive type-2 immune response to harmless proteins, known as allergens. A key feature of the condition are allergen-specific IgE antibodies, which activate mast cells upon allergen exposure. Mast cells respond by releasing mediators that trigger allergic reactions and, therefore, play a critical role in allergies. As the majority of available allergy treatments have significant limitations and side effects, there is a great need for new therapeutic options. As part of the new Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Allergy Therapeutics (CDL-IAT), a comprehensive basic research programme will characterise the defining molecular programmes of mast cell maturation, activation and recovery. These findings provide the scientific foundation for the discovery of novel mast cell–specific drug targets and modulators of these pathways in collaboration with industry partner Allegria Therapeutics.
Ministry of Economy promotes collaboration between academia and industry
Christian Doppler Laboratories are jointly funded by the public sector and the participating companies; the main public funding body is the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism. Minister for the Economy, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, emphasises: "Life sciences are a key technology for Austria as a business location. By funding this CD laboratory, we are making a targeted investment in this sector of the future. Close collaboration between academia and industry lays the foundation for excellent research to yield new medicines and marketable innovations. This strengthens the competitiveness of our business location and opens up opportunities for additional value creation and highly skilled jobs. Around 1.5 million people in Austria live with a medically diagnosed allergy – yet existing treatments often reach their limits. By researching new therapeutic approaches, we are combining economic potential with tangible improvements for those affected."
"The new CDL-IAT is based on ambitious, high-quality basic research. By integrating state-of-the-art technologies, we aim to explore innovative therapeutic approaches to enable new treatments for patients with allergies or other mast cell-driven diseases," explains laboratory director Philipp Starkl from MedUni Vienna. "By identifying and precisely targeting the disease-driving pathways in uncontrolled mast cell activation, we aim to deliver more effective and safer treatment options for patients," adds Maria van Dongen, Co-Founder and CEO of Allegria Therapeutics.
"Thanks to the support from our corporate partner and the Ministry, another important chapter in application-oriented basic research can be opened at MedUni Vienna," says Michaela Fritz, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at the Medical University of Vienna, emphasising the significance of the new research facility. “At the Christian Doppler Laboratory, new approaches are being developed to better understand the key mechanisms of allergic reactions and to derive new active substances from this knowledge in a targeted manner. In doing so, the researchers are laying an important foundation for more precise and effective treatments for allergies and other mast cell-mediated diseases.”