BCRT
Experimental Immunotherapy
Michael Schmück-Henneresse
We are dedicated to harnessing the power of T cells to combat viral infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Our research centers on understanding how T cells develop effective immune memory against virus-infected and tumor cells, and how we can strategically modify these responses for therapeutic benefit. To this end, we seek to enhance and reactivate optimal long-term T cell activity in tumor tissues, as well as for antiviral and regulatory T cells in organ transplantation. We are developing technologies to detect, characterize, and genetically reprogram T cell specificity, along with strategies to optimize T cell potency. We employ gene-editing technologies, including CRISPR-Cas, to modify T cells to enhance their activity and migration toward tumors, improve their resistance to immunosuppression, and achieve a finely-tuned immune response. Additionally, we investigate potential immunopathologies caused by these genetic modifications, aiming to understand and prevent associated issues. For evaluating the novel T cell products generated in our lab, we are creating living biobanks of organoids and complex 3D self-organizing cultures derived from patient tissues. We utilize physiological models alongside state-of-the-art techniques such as high-content imaging, spectral flow cytometry, proteomics, and scRNA-seq to mimic and characterize the optimal specificity, quality, potency, and longevity of therapeutic T cells. Through these approaches, we strive to enhance and reactivate long-term T cell activity, ultimately providing new treatment options by developing safe and efficacious T cell products.
- Develop T-cell-based solutions for protection against viral infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancer, aiming to create safe and effective T-cell products for new treatment options.
- Enhance and reactivate T-cell activity in tumors and organ transplantation.
- Develop technologies to detect, characterize, and reprogram T-cell specificity.
- Utilize gene-editing to boost T-cell activity, migration, and resistance to immunosuppression.
- Prevent immunopathologies associated with genetic modifications, including those using CRISPR-Cas.
- Create testing platforms, including patient-derived organoid models and 3D cultures.
- Employ advanced techniques such as imaging, spectral flow cytometry, proteomics, and scRNA-seq.