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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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bio:cap: Impulses for Even Greater Transformation of Immunotherapy Research into Innovative Solutions for Patients

22.06.2026

Transforming promising research results from Europe, and especially from Germany, into market-ready innovations and products: this is the shared goal that brought together participants at the international life science and AI trade fair bio:cap at the City Cube in Berlin, in June 2026. Scientists, innovative start-ups, established industry leaders, and international investors came together for this purpose. LIT participants were also present, working to turn their immunotherapy research into innovative solutions for patients.

Launch of LIT / DRFZ Joint Group “Experimental Cell Therapy”: Transferring Research Into Practice For Patients With Rheumatic Diseases

15.06.2026

The Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) and the German Rheumatology Research Center, a Leibniz-Institute (DRFZ) are initiating an Independent Joint Experimental Cell Therapy Research Group. This joint venture merges the engineered immune cell therapy expertise of the LIT and the expertise in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases of the DRFZ. The Joint Group “Experimental Cell Therapy” will be headed by Dr. Erica R. Vander Mause, an expert in gene and cellular therapies who has worked extensively with advanced gene editing techniques, primary stem and immune cell culture, and protein engineering.

LIT PhD Student Retreat 2026: Insights and Overview

15.05.2026

Ten PhD students of the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) attended this year’s PhD Student Retreat in Hammelburg on the Franconian Saale from April 17 to April 19. Members of nine different LIT Research Divisions and Research Groups exchanged insights on the latest developments at the LIT, got amutual overview of their diverse projects and different methods used at the LIT.

Stem Cell Memory CAR T Cells Achieve Complete Remissions at Low Doses Without Chemotherapy Preconditioning

30.04.2026

Stem-cell memory T (TSCM) cells are a rare subset of immune cells with the ability to self-renew, persist long term, and mount potent anti-tumor responses. These properties make them an attractive candidate for next-generation CAR T-cell therapies. However, their clinical potential has not previously been demonstrated in humans. An international team of researchers co-led by Professor Luca Gattinoni from the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT) and Dr. James Kochenderfer from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), has now published a new study in Cell reporting, for the first time, that CAR T cells designed to acquire a TSCM phenotype demonstrate a favorable safety profile and can induce complete remissions at remarkably low doses without the chemotherapy preconditioning, which is typically used in CAR T-cell therapy to enhance engraftment.

Immunology Day 2026: LIT Researchers Shed Light on Regulatory T Cells

29.04.2026

April 29 is recognized worldwide as “Immunology Day.” This year’s theme “Regulatory T Cells: Guardians of Immune Balance”, is particularly timely: the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine honored Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell und Shimon Sakaguchi for their work in this area. Dr. Frauke Hoffmann and Ardita Ramadani from the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy are among the researchers working on these immune cells and have designed an informational poster focusing on wound healing.

Translation Group T-Cell Fitness shares insights into research in new Indian podcast series

21.04.2026

“Building Fitter T Cells to Fight Cancer” is the title of a new podcast episode with Assoc. Prof. Roland Schelker, Head of Translation Group “T-Cell Fitness” at the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy. Podcast host is Dr. Smita Karpate, who initiated “The Cure Circle”, an Indian initiative bringing together scientists, clinicians, and innovators in cell and gene therapy, regenerative medicine, and biotechnology.

“Glanzlichter”: Two Highlights of Biomedical Research with LIT participation

16.03.2026

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Regensburg has honored two LIT publications as “Highlights of Biomedical Research” in January and March. The “Highlights of Biomedical Research” platform offers young researchers in particular the opportunity to showcase outstanding research achievements, providing valuable insights into the faculty’s contributions.

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.