News
- A H3K27M-targeted vaccine in adults with diffuse midline glioma
- NLGN4X TCR transgenic T cells to treat gliomas
- Twelve times top class in citations
- New PhDs after brilliant defenses!
- What keeps the immune defense in brain tumors functional
- Lukas Bunse is awarded with the Hella Bühler prize
- Vaccination against mutated protein first tested in brain tumor patients
- Experimental glioma model reveals novel approach for immunotherapy in glioblastoma patients
- Michael Platten among the most highly cited researchers worldwide
- Lukas Bunse receives award for the development of cellular therapies
- Together against glioma - DKFZ part of new CRC
- German Cancer Award 2019 goes to Michael Platten
- Prof. Michael Platten and The Platten Lab are on Twitter
A H3K27M-targeted vaccine in adults with diffuse midline glioma
Diffuse midline gliomas are higly aggressive primary central nervous system tumors in children and young adults that are characterized by the clonal driver mutation H3 K27M. Scientists and clinicians from the Platten lab have developed a peptide vaccine that sucessfully elicits tumor specific immune responses against this mutation in the majority of adult patients with relaps tumors. Since mutated peptides are presented on the surface of the tumor cells these findings stir up hope that diffuse midline glioma is amenable to immunotherapy with peptide vaccination. The peptide vaccine is now tested in the INTERCEPT H3 phase 1 clinical trial together with immune checkpoint inhibition in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse midline glioma.
NLGN4X TCR transgenic T cells to treat gliomas
Neuroligin 4 X-linked (NLGN4X) harbors a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2-restricted tumor-associated antigen, overexpressed in human gliomas, that was found to induce specific cytotoxic T cell responses following multi-peptide vaccination in patients with newly- diagnosed glioblastoma.
Here we showed that, an HLA-A *02-restricted vaccine-induced T cell receptor specifically binding NLGN4X131-139 was applied for therapeutic use. Reactivity, cytotoxicity, and polyfunctionality of this NLGN4X-specific TCR is demonstrated in various cellular models. Intracerebroventricular administration of NLGN4X-TCR-T prolongs survival and leads to an objective response rate (ORR) of 44.4 % in experimental gliomas-bearing NSG MHC I/II KO mice compared to 0.0 % in control groups, respectively.
Concluding that NLGN4X-TCR-T demonstrates efficacy in a preclinical glioblastoma model. On a global scale, we provide first evidence for the therapeutic retrieval of vaccine-induced human TCRs for the off-the-shelf treatment of glioblastoma patients.
Twelve times top class in citations
Twelve scientists who conduct research at the DKFZ or head joint bridging departments with the DKFZ made it to the very top in 2023: they are among the top one percent of the world's most cited researchers in their respective fields. Scientists whose work is cited particularly frequently by peers are considered to have above-average recognition in their field. The frequency of citations is therefore one of the most important measures of the influence and performance of individual researchers.
New PhDs after brilliant defenses!
Congratulations to Alice!
Congratulations to Jessica!
For insights into her PhD work, please check the paper on non-invasive T cell tracking.
Congratulations to Khwab!
Congratulations to Katharina!
What keeps the immune defense in brain tumors functional
Brain tumors are characterized by a distinct immunosuppressive microenvironment, leading to failure of novel immunotherapeutic approaches. Scientists from the team of Prof. Platten have now shown how the intratumoral antigen presentation via MHC class II can determine the fate and anti-tumor function of cytotoxic CD8 T cells in brain tumors. In patient material and preclinical models, the researchers showed that the immunosuppressive molecule Osteopontin is produced in large amounts in tumors absent of MHC class II and that restoration of the antigen presentation via MHC class II leads to reduced Osteopontin levels and thus restored CD8 T cell function.
Lukas Bunse is awarded with the Hella Bühler prize
Lukas Bunse from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and the University Hospital Mannheim received the Hella Bühler prize that he was awarded with in 2019. The award is given out by Heidelberg University and is aimed at young researchers who have conducted studies from outstanding quality in the field of cancer research. The prize named after Dr. Hella Bühler comprises 100.000 € intended to supply the scientist's further research projects in this field.
Press relase link: https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/friends-supporters/highly-endowed-hella-buhler-prize-awarded
Vaccination against mutated protein first tested in brain tumor patients
Cancer vaccines can support the body's own immune system to fight a tumor. Since mutations in tumor cells often lead to specifically altered proteins, a vaccine can boost the immune system to recognize such mutated proteins. Scientists and clinicians around Prof. Michael Platten and within the German Cancer Consortium DKTK and the German Neurooncology Working Group NOA for the first time have tested a mutation-specific vaccine targeting a glioma driver mutation in the IDH1 protein in malignant brain tumor patients in a phase 1 clinical study. They demonstrate not only safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine, but also show enhanced local immune reactions and IDH1 mutant-specific activated T cells within the tissue after vaccination. (Platten et al. Nature 2021 als link zu https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03363-z#citeas)
To press release als link zu https://www.dkfz.de/de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2021/dkfz-pm-21-17-Impfung-gegen-mutiertes-Protein-erstmals-bei-Hirntumor-Patienten-geprueft.php (in German only)
Experimental glioma model reveals novel approach for immunotherapy in glioblastoma patients
Malignant brain tumors, such as glioblastomas are frequently resistant to immunotherapies. Scientists from Prof. Dr. Michael Platten's lab at the German Cancer Research Center and Mannheim University Hospital were able to identifiy a mechanism of restistance to immune checkpoint blockade in a mouse model of glioma. (Katrin Aslan, et al. Nature Communications, 2020)
to press release (in German only)
Michael Platten among the most highly cited researchers worldwide
Nine researchers at dkfz are among the world's most influential researchers of the past decade, demonstrated by the production of multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year. Michael Platten is included in this ranking of "Highly Cited Researchers" in the "cross-field" category.
to press release (in German only)
Lukas Bunse receives award for the development of cellular therapies
Lukas Bunse from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and the University Hospital Mannheim receives this year's Swiss Bridge award. Bunse shares the award with a Swiss scientist. Both of them receive 250,000 Swiss francs for the implementation of their research projects.
to press release (in German only)
Together against glioma - DKFZ part of new CRC
With Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) allows researchers to tackle innovative, challenging, complex and long-term research undertakings through the coordination and concentration of individuals and resources within the applicant universities. The new CRC 1389 "Understanding and targeting resistance in glioblastoma – UNITEGLIOBLASTOMA" aims to develop concepts to predict and monitor treatment response and failure, and ultimately, to invent novel therapies for glioblastoma patients.
to press release (in German only)
German Cancer Award 2019 goes to Michael Platten
Prof. Dr. Michael Platten has been awarded the German Cancer Award 2019, one of the most prestigious distinctions in cancer medicine in Germany. Prof. Platten receives the award in the category Clinical Research for his work on immunotherapies for glioma, in particular for the discovery and development of a vaccine against IDH1 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1), a common mutation found in low-grade gliomas.
to press release (in German only)
Prof. Michael Platten and The Platten Lab are on Twitter
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