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The Institute generates news every day. Some findings are groundbreaking—some represent smaller steps. But ultimately, it is the combination of both that makes scientific advancement possible. Here is a little selection of the latest stories making it out to the wider world.

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International LIT Symposium 2026 “Synthetic Immunology / Synthetic Biology”

04.03.2026

“Cells built to cure” serves as the guiding slogan of the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy and captures our enthusiasm for the field of synthetic immunology and synthetic biology. During our conference, leading international experts in this field will present and discuss cutting‑edge, novel approaches. The International LIT Symposium takes place on June 23rd to 24th, 2026, in Regensburg, Germany. We would be delighted to have you with us!

Drug-Controlled CAR T Cells: A New Safety Switch for Cancer Immunotherapy

03.03.2026

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is based on engineered immune cells that find and destroy cancer cells. However, sometimes these cells also attack healthy tissues, causing side effects. An international team of researchers, including LIT scientists Dr. Leo Scheller, Dr. Markus Barden, and Prof. Hinrich Abken, has now developed a system to control T-cell binding to other cells by an approved small molecule drug.

Decoding and Targeting the Pancreatic Cancer Ecosystem

03.02.2026

The Research Division “Interventional Immunology” at the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), headed by Prof. Philipp Beckhove, is part of a new collaborative project striving for a holistic understanding of cancer-immune cell interactions within the pancreatic ecosystem. Ultimately, this knowledge aims to enable personalized combination immunotherapies targeting both tumor cells and their immune environment to finally transform pancreatic cancer into a treatable disease.

Funding for excellent research extended: LIT Scientists’ contribution is key in CRC/Transregio 221

27.01.2026

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has extended the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) Transregio 221 “Regulation of Graft-versus-Host and Graft-versus-Leukemia Immune Responses after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation” for a third funding period of four years, committing 15 million euros in support to the participating partners. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) play a key role in this large interdisciplinary research consortium and represent excellence in immunomedicine.

Kick-off for joint research projects at the interface of materials science and immunotherapy

22.01.2026

A delegation of scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) recently visited the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM) in Saarbrücken. The aim of the meeting was to establish collaborations between the institutes in order to develop innovative forms of therapy at the interface between materials science and immunotherapy. There was particular interest in the topics of “synthetic cells,” “therapeutic Lactobacillus engineering,” and “optogenetic T-cell control.”

German Research Foundation DFG Extends Funding to Support Innovative T Cell Mitochondrial Research

21.01.2026

The Reinhart Koselleck project led by Prof. Luca Gattinoni and Dr. Jeremy Baldwin at the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy has received a highly positive interim report evaluation and has been awarded an additional €750,000 in funding to continue their pioneering research into the dynamic role of mitochondria in T-cell biology for the next two years. The decision reflects the exceptional scientific impact of the first funding phase and clears the way for the next stage of this ambitious research program.

Prof. Philipp Beckhove joins CDU “Netzwerk Wissenschaft”

13.01.2026

“Netzwerk Wissenschaft“, a new platform for developing ideas and putting them into practice, has been established by CDU Secretary General Dr. Carsten Linnemann and Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck, both Members of the German Bundestag. Prof. Philipp Beckhove, Scientific Director of the LIT, was invited to join the network and contribute his expertise.

LIT Researcher Awarded Prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Research Fellowship to Cambridge University

05.01.2026

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) is the European Commission’s flagship program designed to support early-career researcher development and foster scientific excellence. Dr. Jeremy Baldwin’s research lies at the crossroads of immunology, synthetic biology and cancer research. During the upcoming fellowship, he will focus on engineering mitochondria for immunotherapy applications. His MSCA research proposal received a perfect score of 100.00% by EC evaluators – an exceptionally rare score achieved by less than 1% of the over 10,500 total MSCA applications.

Extension of SATURN3 Funding for Intratumoral Heterogeneity Research

16.12.2025

Since 2022, scientists at the LIT, led by Prof. Philipp Beckhove, Scientific Director and Head of Interventional Immunology Division, have been investigating intratumoral heterogeneity – the phenomenon that tumors undergo significant individual changes as the disease progresses – as part of the SATURN3 consortium. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space has extended this funding until June 2027 and increased it by around €220,000 to a total of nearly €600,000.

Podcast “Wirkstoffradio”: Interview with Dr. Markus Barden

15.12.2025

Dr. Markus Barden conducts research at the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) in the Genetic-Immunotherapy Division, focusing in particular on how CAR T cells can recognize their target structures even more precisely. In the podcast “Wirkstoffradio”, he explains what a CAR T cell is, how T cells identify target structures, and what reactions follow.