Translational Radiooncology Research Group
Radiation oncology has been an integral part of cancer therapy for decades. For some years, radiation treatment has gained increasing importance in the context of modern, multimodal therapeutic procedures. These include the use of immunotherapeutics, also referred to as immune checkpoint inhibitors. Clinical studies have shown that adjuvant (i.e., after radiotherapy) treatment with these agents significantly improves the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
However, the molecular mechanisms for these clinical successes are not or only rudimentarily understood. It is believed that radiation treatment can synergistically affect T cell immunity, which can then be exploited therapeutically. Our group is working to explore these mechanisms, with a particular focus on the effect of radiotherapy on the adaptive immune system, i.e. the various steps of T cell activation and reactivation in tumor tissue. Our goal is to better understand the effect of radiotherapy on the activation and recruitment of T cells as well as their cellular interactions within tissues to uncover novel therapeutic strategies and synergies. Our focus in these investigations lies on models of small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. In addition to genetic reporters and viral reporter constructs, we use flow cytometric and transcriptomal analysis of the immune cells involved.
In addition to basic research focused on improving molecular mechanisms, we also offer the translational platform for clinical trials at our clinic. While also using standard histological staining and cytokine determinations, the focus is on the flow cytometric and transcriptomal analyzes of blood and tumor samples with particular attention to so-called inhibitory receptors, which could be of potential therapeutic benefit.
