Metabolic and Immune Imaging Biomarkers
The research activities of this group are dedicated to new metabolism and immune system-directed predictive and prognostic imaging biomarkers. This includes the use of antibody derivatives, peptides, or small molecules for evaluating the functional expression of specific molecules or characterizing metabolic or immune-modulatory cells and mechanisms, primarily in tumor microenvironment. Such biomarkers enable a non-invasive assessment of targets suitable for antibodies or other therapeutic strategies targeting a specific antigen. They also identify tumor targets suitable for immuno-oncological strategies, including combination therapies, and allow for the visualization of immune components crucial to the tumor microenvironment. This also includes approaches for non-invasive monitoring of biodistribution, trafficking and fate of immune cells in order to preclinically evaluate mechanisms of their tissue-specific colonization and possibly their therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, we pursue innovative approaches leading to the identification of pharmacodynamic and response biomarkers.
Recent key publications
- Loureiro LR et al., J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 42:341, 2023.
- Striese F et al., Int J Mol Sci. 24:9420, 2023.
Projects (multicenter)
- Development and preclinical characterization of radio(immune)theranostic approaches targeting human fibroblast activation protein (FAP) within in the Helmholtz International Laboratory MHELTHERA
Research initiatives
- Therapeutic applications of trained myeloid cells (Dresden concept (DDc) research group Inflammation and Myelopoiesis; cooperation with Chavakis group, Technische Universität Dresden/DIGS-BB)
- Lipid Metabolism in Cancer
Further publications on our hypotheses and approaches
- ref. targeting receptor tyrosine kinases: [1]