Psoriasis is an auto-inflammatory disease that affects skin and other organs and leads to impaired quality of life. Approximately 2 to 3% of the worldwide population suffers from this debilitating condition, the origins and causes of which are currently poorly understood. Recently, a gene called CARD14 (=CARMA2) has been identified as a psoriasis susceptibility gene. Little is known about the biochemical function and physiological role of the CARD14 protein; however, another member of the CARD14 family, CARD11 (=CARMA1) and its role in the antigen receptor signalling in T and B cells is well described. The proteins of the CARD11/14 (CARMA) family show a high degree of homology but a differential expression pattern in various tissues, suggesting that these proteins may participate in similar signalling cascades in different cell types. The research group of Professor Beyaert has preliminary data suggesting that the protease MALT1, a CARD11-binding molecule and therapeutic target in lymphocytes, interacts with CARD14 in keratinocytes, which points to the existence of a similar signalling complex. The aim of this project is to further unravel the CARD14-mediated signalling cascade and to characterize the role of a gain-of-function CARD14 variant in the pathogenesis of psoriasis by creating a transgenic mouse model. Eventually, this should allow us to investigate the potential of therapeutic targeting of the CARD14/MALT1 pathway in the treatment of psoriasis.