Prof. Simone Thomas
Head of Research Group | T-Cell Therapy
Cellular immunotherapies enable the patient’s immune system to eliminate cancer cells. To implement this process, our team modifies the patient’s immune cells with T-cell receptors (TCR) or chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) that recognize tumor cells. We then re-infuse those cells into the patient’s body where they work as ‘living drugs.’
TCR/CAR T-cell therapies
Our research group focuses on the development of TCR/CAR T-cell therapies to fight hematologic malignancies (e.g. leukemia) which have relapsed after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Among others, we target an antigen known as HLA-DP, which is frequently mismatched between patient and donor. HLA-DP antigens are also expressed in healthy tissue during inflammation or infection, which can result in this healthy tissue being attacked. Our focus is therefore on establishing safety mechanisms which will specifically orchestrate TCR/CAR-redirected T cells for selective target recognition of the patient's leukemic cells.
We are also aiming to engineer CAR-redirected T cells with sustained functional capacities by blocking checkpoints or by providing an additional cytokine signal to the T cell. Specifically, we block the CD30-CD30L interaction—which is involved in the repression of T-cell activation—using a dual-targeting CAR that simultaneously binds to CD30 and a tumor antigen. We also add a cytokine signal to the T cell by integrating the cytokine protein into the T-cell membrane of the CAR itself.
Quote from Prof. Simone Thomas
Our research work focuses on the development of TCR/CAR T-cell therapies to fight hematologic malignancies which have relapsed after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Head of Research Group T-Cell Therapy
Biography
Academic background and qualifications
From 1998–2004, Prof. Simone Thomas studied Medicine at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. After graduation, she continued her research and was trained as a physician, receiving board certification in Internal Medicine in 2011 and board certification in Hematology and Oncology in 2013.
Professional career
After carrying out her residency at the Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center of Mainz from 2004–2013, Prof. Thomas became a Senior Physician at the Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, at the University Hospital of Regensburg. Since 2020, Prof. Thomas has been a W2 professor for T-cell therapy at the LIT.
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