Research Group: Innate Immune Sensing in Cancer and Transplantation

Immunotherapies, especially CAR T-cell therapy, have fundamentally changed cancer treatment in recent years, particularly for certain forms of leukemia and lymphoma. Yet not all tumors respond equally well, and the reasons for this remain incompletely understood. A new multicenter study by the LIT collaboration group “Innate Immune Sensing in Cancer and Transplantation” now shows that it is not only the composition of the gut microbiota that determines the success of CAR T-cell therapy, but above all its metabolic products. As reported in the current issue of the journal “Cell”, certain microbial metabolites can enhance or inhibit CAR T-cell function, with a major impact on treatment outcome. They also offer important starting points for microbiome-based therapies and dietary strategies aimed at supporting the gut microbiome during cancer treatment.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs), a specialized type of immune cells, are usually seen as “peacekeepers” that prevent excessive immune attacks. Surprisingly, a new study published in “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy” shows that Tregs utilize inflammatory signals to start repair processes following cancer therapy. The research conducted by the LIT Cooperation Group “Innate Immune Sensing in Cancer and Transplantation” in cooperation with researchers from the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) uncovers how the body`s own immune system can be harnessed to repair the intestinal lining and improve survival.

A “Nature Communications” study from the LIT Cooperation Group “Innate Immune Sensing in Cancer and Transplantation” reveals how a microbial metabolite safeguards the intestinal barrier and drives stem cell-mediated regeneration after injury.