Project “IMMUNOVERSE – Designing and Evaluating a Metaversal Playground for Science Communication” as part of the DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1755 CASCAID

Understanding complex medical concepts is often a real challenge  – this is why we explore how digital games can help foster a better understanding of chronic autoimmune diseases and their treatment options among patients and society at large.

Within the framework of the DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1755 CASCAID, innovative new therapeutic approaches are being developed to stop chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Building on these therapeutic advances, we are developing medical learning games that help patients gain a better understanding of these diseases and potential treatment strategies, while also making research more accessible to the broader public.

Particularly in the case of chronic or severe illnesses such as autoimmune diseases, early, clear, and patient-centered communication is crucial to empower individuals to understand their condition and the available treatment options, and to actively support therapies through their own behavior. The games we develop are therefore not only an innovative tool for science communication but also become subjects of scientific investigation themselves. Our focus lies on understanding the learning effects of such game-based formats and their influence on behavior, motivation, and active engagement with medical topics. In this way, we examine how digital games can not only communicate research but also actively shape learning and decision-making processes.

Science Communication in the “IMMUNOVERSE” 

In parallel with these games, we are developing a digital platform, the IMMUNOVERSE, a social virtual space designed to foster active exchange between patients, researchers, and interested members of the public. This virtual environment serves as a gateway to our medical learning games while also offering opportunities for dialogue between science and society through virtual events and digital services. It combines gameful learning with the promotion of scientific curiosity and active participation.

In more detail, our project pursues the following objectives:

• Development of three interactive medical learning games that present current research findings from the CASCAID Collaborative Research Centre on innovative treatment approaches such as CAR T-cell therapy, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and T-cell engagers in an accessible and engaging way.
• Creation of the digital platform IMMUNOVERSE as a virtual social hub where patients, researchers, and the public can meet to explore and discuss the latest therapeutic approaches together.
• Quantitative experimental research on the use of digital games and metaverse platforms in patient and science communication, with a focus on knowledge transfer as well as social and psychological dynamics.