German version

Our goal is to contribute to better outcomes for cancer patients by focusing our research efforts in two main areas. We develop novel immunotherapeutic approaches in hematological cancers and solid tumors and we use liquid biopsies to understand the cancer genome and measure treatment response in cancer patients at high resolution.

Our first focus is the development of new immunotherapeutic approaches for lymphomas and solid tumors such as lung cancer. We have shown that certain combinations of immunotherapies have a synergistic effect and lead to responses in tumors that otherwise do not respond to established immunotherapies. Currently, we are developing these combination approaches further, for example, by developing new bispecific antibody constructs. In other projects we are studying drug repurposing for immunotherapy. Here, we research the immunotherapeutic effects of well-understood drugs that are already approved for other indications.

Our second focus is the development of liquid biopsies for better molecular characterization and treatment monitoring in hematological cancers and solid tumors. We are particularly interested in Hodgkin lymphoma. In close cooperation with the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) and the International Hodgkin Lymphoma MRD Consortium, we developed a platform that allows us to study patient-individual genetic changes at a high level of detail and to use these as individual biomarkers for the respective patient, similar to a molecular fingerprint. Furthermore, in cooperation with other research groups, we are currently evaluating our liquid biopsy platform in other cancers.

Dr. Anne-Catherine Neumann, MD - Clinical fellow
Jan-Michel Heger, MD - Clinical fellow
Olivia Käsgen  - Technical assistant and lab manager
Niels Köthemann - MD student
Mia Lohmann - MD student
Laman Mammadova  - MD student
Julia Mattlener - MD student
Andrea Steliou - MD student
Max Freihammer - PhD Student