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.
A groundbreaking study reported in Nature and discussed in Science Magazine has revealed that neurons donate mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouse, to cancer cells, dramatically boosting tumor growth and spread. By transferring these energy-producing organelles, nerve cells effectively “supercharge” cancer cells, helping them survive, multiply, and metastasize to other parts of the body.
We were deeply saddened to learn that Zelig Eshhar, Professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, passed away on July 3rd, 2025, at the age of 84 years.
A publication on the hidden potential of the gene LMO4 to enhance the cancer-fighting abilities of T cells has been selected as the “Highlight of Biomedical Research” in July by the Medical Faculty of the University of Regensburg. The study authored by LIT researchers Dr. Dr. Roland Schelker, head of the Clinical Translation Group “T-Cell Fitness” at the LIT and specialist in hematology/oncology at the University Hospital Regensburg, and Prof. Luca Gattinoni, Head of LIT Research Division “Functional Immune Cell Modulation”, was published in the high-impact journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.
The LIT highly acknowledges the hard work, dedication, and achievements of our graduate students. To express our gratitude, we celebrated “Graduate Student Appreciation Week” in June with various events.
Prof. Philipp Beckhove, Scientific Director of the Leibniz-Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), was a guest on the podcast “Wirkstoffradio” and talked to the host Bernd Rupp about the cutting-edge research at the LIT (in German).
The article “The T cell subsetting challenge” by Dr. Natalia R. Comet (Karolinska Institutet) and Prof. Carmen Gerlach (Head of Research Division “Tailored T-Cell Diversity” at the LIT), published in “Trends in Immunology”, explores the complexities and inconsistencies in defining and classifying T cell subsets.
In May 2025, the new dialogue format brought together members of the Bavarian State Parliament with researchers from the Leibniz Association, including LIT experts.
New Publication in Nature Cancer: Scientists from the LIT Cooperation Group “Translational Immunobiology of Early Systemic Cancer” and the LIT “Division of Immunology” give new insights into the initial steps of cancer spread in melanoma.
A passionate group of young scientists—many affiliated with the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT)—successfully brought the Pint of Science festival back to Regensburg in 2025, continuing a local tradition that they began in 2022.
LIT scientist Meghma Mukherjee, PhD student at the Research Division “Interventional Immunology” headed by Prof. Philipp Beckhove, received the Best Poster Award at the CIMT Annual Meeting in Mainz.
