Based on a deep understanding of tumor-host immune interactions and the mechanisms tumors use to evade immunity, both sites develop strategies to re-induce tumor immunity. This includes strategies to modulate the tumor environment, strategies to actively guide T cells to the tumor cell and strategies to enhance host immunity by vaccination, or by reinfusion of potent effectors such as autologous antigen-specific T cells, chimeric antigen receptor transduced (CAR) T cells, or T cell receptors (TCR) transduced T cells. Fully human, fully immunocompetent tumor models have been developed that help to test such strategies preclinically and to identify potential mechanisms of resistance.
Research Profile Dresden
The Dresden translational immunotherapy program has focused on the development of modular bispecific antibodies and switchable chimeric antigen receptor transduced T cells (CAR-T) and natural killer cells (CARNK). In addition, adoptive cellular therapies employing virus- and tumor-reactive T cells (CAR-T, TCR-transduced T, Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs)) have been established. In a team effort of academic partners within the NCT and the university campus as well as two spin-off companies, the aim is to evaluate the modular BITE and the UniCAR platform in first-in-human clinical trials to provide a cure to patients with unmet medical needs.