Every breakthrough in medicine only changes lives when people understand it.
That’s why we create digital experiences that transform complex immunology into knowledge, confidence, and hope.
#BackToHealth is more than just a hashtag: It is the vision that unites everything we create.
At this year’s Nürnberg Digital Festival NUEDIGITAL we had the opportunity to make this ongoing work tangible for visitors — through four digital applications that connect research, patient education, and clinical innovation.
The journey started with Bone Eaters, developed within the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) – German Research Foundation funded TRR369 DIONE. It is a mobile serious game that explains molecular inflammatory mechanisms contributing to osteoporosis.
Next up was Inflammania 3D – “Catch me if you can”, which is currently being further developed as part of the DFG-funded SFB1755 CASCAID project and uses Roblox’s multiplayer gameplay to explain how CAR-T cell therapy can work in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Understanding a treatment is one thing. Preparing for it as a patient is quite another. CARSLE VR demonstrates how immersive virtual reality is already being used in clinical practice to support patient education before CAR T-cell therapy in autoimmune diseases.
People who suspect they may be suffering from a rheumatic condition were able to find out about the mobile symptom checker ‘Rheumatics’, which was developed and evaluated as part of the EU-funded SPIDeRR consortium. The app helps people to document their symptoms in a structured way and enables earlier, more informed discussions with healthcare professionals.
Four technologies. One shared direction:
Making complex immunology understandable.
Empowering patients.
Bringing innovation closer to everyday healthcare.
From explaining disease mechanisms and innovative therapies to supporting clinical decision-making and patient education, these digital tools demonstrate how interdisciplinary collaboration can translate cutting-edge immunology into meaningful health experiences.
The exhibition was curated by PD Dr Harriet Morf and Sandra Jeleazcov, whose work combines clinical rheumatology, translational immunology, science communication, digital health and patient-centred innovation. In this way, they build a bridge between research, clinical care and public engagement – making complex medical topics accessible, understandable and tangible.