Engineering a sustainable and non-exhausting CD8+ T cell response (B06)

• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 452881907

Activation of the TCR leads to downstream signaling via three major transcription factor families – NFAT, AP-1 and NFkB. However, persistent TCR activation causes an imbalance of these signaling hubs, thereby driving T cell exhaustion. We have recently shown that the AP-1 factor BATF3 regulates CD8+ T cell survival and memory formation by modulating the pro-apoptotic factor BIM. In this project we want to enhance T cell function against cancer by modulating the expression of various AP-1 factors (c-JUN, BATF and BATF3) and death regulating proteins (FAS, BIM).

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 338: LETSIMMUN - Lymphocyte Engineering for Therapeutic Synthetic Immunity
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Kastenmüller