Cell therapy

A new computer program allows scientists to design synthetic DNA segments that indicate, in real time, the state of cells. Reported by the Gargiulo lab in “Nature Communications”, it will be used to screen for anti-cancer or viral infections drugs, or to improve gene and cell-based immunotherapies.

Cell-based immunotherapies, particularly lab-produced immune cells known as CAR T cells, show promise in treating various cancers. But how do we produce effective ones? Gaetano Gargiulo from the Max Delbrück Center will develop a novel screening tool, supported by an ERC Proof of Concept Grant.

Armin Rehm and Uta Höpken want to improve our immune defenses against cancer. They have recently shown in human cells what was previously only possible in mouse models. Their findings, published in "Molecular Therapy", have raised the chances of a highly effective immunotherapy being developed for blood cancer.

Virchow 2.0, the only finalist from Berlin to make it to the second round of the BMBF’s Clusters4Future competition, is entering the conception phase. At a kick-off meeting on September 27, 2021, participants from the scientific, clinical, and business communities offered a preview of their cluster strategy.

Cancer immunologist Lydia Dyck has started her Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the MDC. Her goal is to find new ways for the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, as tumors often evade the body’s defense mechanisms.

T-knife, a spin-off from the MDC and Charité, has raised 110 million U.S. dollars from international investors. The Berlin-based biotech company is developing novel immunotherapies against cancer that focus on teaching a patient’s T cells to recognize and fight solid tumors.

Wissensstadt Berlin 2021 kicked off in late June with an extensive program that offers a glimpse into what the city’s scientists are working on – all under the motto “Berlin wants to know.” The MDC is hosting events that bring science to life and give the public an opportunity to discuss the medicine of tomorrow.

A young Berlin-based company called T-knife is a rising star in Germany’s biotech sector. Co-founder Dr. Elisa Kieback, along with colleagues, has catapulted the joint spin-off from the MDC and Charité to the top of the German biotech start-up universe.

A new gene-editing technique can be used to correct mutations in muscle stem cells, paving the way for the first potential cell therapy for genetic muscle disorders. The ECRC team led by Professor Simone Spuler have published their findings in the journal "JCI Insight".

The MDC start-up project “Captain T Cell” has been awarded several million Euros from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of its GO-Bio funding initiative. The aim of the project is to develop new cancer-fighting T-cell therapies.