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MANNHEIM INSTITUTE for INNATE IMMUNOSCIENCE

The Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3) of Heidelberg University serves as a cross-sectional hub for innovative immunology research with an emphasis on innate immunity. In close connection with the four research areas of the Medical Faculty Mannheim and the University Medical Center Mannheim, the MI3 explores the functions of innate immune cells and their tissue specific cross-talk with the adaptive immune system, non-immune and malignant cells and pathogens.

News

ERC Advanced Grant for Prof. Dr. Michael Platten

Prof. Dr. Michael Platten has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant, the prestigious funding from the European Research Council. The neurologist will use the ERC funds to develop personalized cellular immunotherapies against malignant brain tumors.

Press release at the Medical Faculty Mannheim (German language)

Circulating tumor cells provide detailed insights into cancer heterogeneity

An improved method for isolating circulating tumour cells paves the way for tailor-made therapies in personalized oncology: In a recent study, scientists from the DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim show that it is possible to obtain sufficient circulating tumour cells using an enrichment technique of blood cells (diagnostic leukapheresis) to be able to comprehensively analyse the tumour and its heterogeneity.

Link to Article

Press release at the Medical Faculty Mannheim (German language)

Newly discovered mechanism of T cell control may interfere with cancer immunotherapies

If activated T cells carry a certain marker protein on their surface, they are kept in check by natural killer (NK) cells, another cell type of the immune system. In this way, the body presumably prevents destructive immune reactions from “overshooting”. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University Medical Center Mannheim (UMM) discovered this and showed that NK cells can also impair the effect of cancer therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in this way and be responsible for the rapid decline of therapeutic CAR-T cells in cellular immunotherapies. By interfering with this newly discovered mechanism, it may be possible to improve the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapies.

Link to Article

Paul Martini Prize for therapeutic vaccines against brain tumors

Professor Dr. med. Michael Platten awarded for the development of therapeutic vaccines against malignant brain tumors

Press release at the Medical Faculty Mannheim (German language)

AI can accelerate the development of cellular immunotherapies

Until now, identifying suitable T cells for cellular immunotherapy has been a laborious and time-consuming process. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University Medical Center Mannheim (UMM) want to simplify and speed up the process.

Press release at the Medical Faculty Mannheim (German language)

Nuclear speckles identified as sites of stress-induced gene expression

Researchers at MI3 discovered that several factors required for early steps of splicing are recruited to nuclear speckles under conditions of ribotoxic stress. Nuclear speckle reorganization is accompanied by relocalization of immediate early gene (IEG) transcription foci to nuclear speckles and pronounced splicing activation of the corresponding pre-mRNAs. The study assigns nuclear speckles a new function as sites dedicated to the preferential expression of stress-induced genes.

Link to Article

Press release at the Medical Faculty Mannheim (German language)

MI3-Retreat

On October 9, 2023 the MI3 - Mannheim Institute of Innate Immunoscience - invited to its yearly retreat. This time it took place at "Raum Weitblick” of the “Patientenhaus” on the Medical Faculty and UMM campus in Mannheim. With 80 participants, 10 poster presentations and 17 talks by scientists from MI3's core and associated areas this has been a very well attended, interactive retreat. In addition, Prof. Axel Roers (W3 Professor and Chair of Immunology / Director Institute for Immunology, Heidelberg University) was invited to give insights into his recent research highlights. Taken together, the retreat was very well received by all participants and gave ample opportunities to discuss and get feedback on recent exciting data, to exchange research ideas and to initiate and continue collaborations.

At the retreat the following day, scientists from MI3's core and associated departments presented their exciting MI3 research projects, followed by lively discussions. A common conclusion of both event days is that they were more than worthwhile - not only because many findings of immunological research were exchanged, which always give impulses for project ideas. There was also enough time for networking to deepen existing collaborations and to initiate new ones.