(Re)installing Cancer Immunity in pancreatic cancer and cancers of the upper GI tract (22*)

• Subject Area: Gastroenterology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 318346496

Antibodies that block immune checkpoints (ICB) have revolutionized cancer treatment and have become standards-of-care across a wide range of cancer types. This translational project will investigate two clinically relevant topics: (1) Mechanisms occuringin ICB-nonresponsive “cold” tumors, including loss of MHC class I, and (2) overcoming the resistance of such tumors by a combination immunotherapy approach involving antibodies against tumor cell surface antigens and RNA-encoded interleukin-2. The project will integrate studies of murine models and human samples in order to create a fundamentfor prospective clinical trials.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1292: Targeting convergent mechanisms of inefficient immunity in tumors and chronic infections
• Applicant Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Matthias Gaida; Professorin Dr. Özlem Türeci