[Systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases competence network].

The foundation of the competence network for rheumatology, which is funded by the "Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung" (BMBF) since 1999, succeeded to create a unique research structure in Germany: medical doctors and scientists from six university rheumatology centres (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Erlangen, Freiburg, Hannover und Lübeck/Bad Bramstedt) work closely together with scientists doing basic research at the Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), with rheumatological hospitals, reha-clinics, and rheumatologists. Jointly they are searching for causes of systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases and try to improve therapies-nationwide and with an interdisciplinary approach. The primary objective of this collaboration is to transfer new scientific insights more rapidly in order to improve methods for diagnosis and patients treatment.