Research focus
Many patients with head and neck cancer still have a poor prognosis despite major research efforts. Immune cells, especially T lymphocytes, can recognise cancer cells because they differ from healthy cells by so-called tumour antigens. If such an immune cell recognises a tumour cell, it destroys the tumour cell.
However, tumour cells use various mechanisms to deceive or suppress the immune system. Dr Laban's research group is therefore focusing on two main areas:
- The investigation of cancer-typical proteins (so-called tumour-specific antigens) of head and neck tumours
- The development of immunotherapeutic concepts for the treatment of head and neck tumours
Immune reactions against tumour antigens can enable permanent tumour control if the suppression of the body's own defences triggered by the tumour can be successfully combated at the same time. In recent years, various modulators of so-called immune checkpoints have been developed. These immune checkpoint modulators can unleash suppressed defence reactions. However, a prerequisite for this is that such a tumour-specific immune response exists in the first place. This does not appear to be the case in many patients, as response rates of between 10 and 20% in monotherapy with immune checkpoint modulators show. A therapeutic vaccination with cancer-typical tumour antigens could improve this. There are three types of tumour antigens: 1. (viral) foreign antigens, 2. mutated antigens, 3. non-mutated antigens (e.g. cancer-testis antigens).
Dr Laban's research group is investigating which of these tumour antigens are particularly common in various head and neck tumours, what influence these tumour antigens have on the prognosis of patients and whether/how these tumour antigens can be recognised by the immune system.
In addition, translational studies are being carried out to analyse the influence of conventional tumour therapy (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy) on the immune system and how the suppression of the immune system triggered by the tumour can be characterised and combated. To this end, there is close cooperation with the Basic Immunology working group (Prof. Dr Brunner) and the Regulatory Immune Cells working group (Prof. Dr Schuler).
Members of the working group
Graduate scientists:
- Daphne Engelhardt, MD (Assistant Physician, Clinician Scientist)
Email: daphne.engelhardt@uniklinik-ulm.de
Topic: Influence of the HLA type on the expression of tumour-specific antigens
(cooperation project with Prof. Dr Rammensee, University of Tübingen and Prof. Mytilineos, University Hospital Ulm) - Jasmin Ezic, M.Sc. (PhD student in the DFG Research Training Group GRK-2254)
Email: jasmin.ezic@uniklinik-ulm.de
Topics:- Influence of DNA methylation on the expression of tumour antigens
- Modulation of DNA methylation to improve the immunogenicity of tumours
- Functional characterisation of tumour-specific antigens and their methylation (CRISPR-CAS9)
Medical doctoral students:
- Dominik Gangkofner (medical doctoral student)
Topic: Analysis of tumour-specific antibodies in head and neck tumour patients
(cooperation project with Dr Pawlita, DKFZ) - Gregor Giebel (medical doctoral student)
Topic: MAGE antigen expression in head and neck tumour patients
(cooperation project with Prof. Dr. Perner, UKSH) - Ayla Grages (medical doctoral student)
Topic: Analysis of modulatory immune checkpoints in the course of conventional therapy (cooperation project with Prof. Dr Schuler) - Jana Kimmeyer (medical doctoral student)
Topic: Drug-based tumour therapy in German-speaking countries - Angelika Oster (medical doctoral student)
Topic: Changes in peripheral cytokine levels and DAMP (HMGB-1) during conventional tumour therapy
(cooperation project with Prof. Dr Lotfi, DRK Ulm and Prof. Dr Multhoff, Technical University of Munich) - Chiara Staiger (dental doctoral student)
Topic: Treatment outcomes of patients with oropharyngeal tumours
Research funding (third-party funded projects)
- Senior Clinician Scientist Programme at Ulm University Hospital: "Analysis of tumour antigens of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas by HLA-Ligandom analysis and RNA sequencing for the development of an "off-the-shelve" multipeptide vaccine"
- DFG Research Training Group(GRK 2254): Project B4 "The impact of methylation signatures on cancer cell aggressiveness and cancer-testis antigen specific immunity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma"
- Travel grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to the American Head & Neck Society Meeting 2014
- Travel grant German Cancer Aid to the German Cancer Congress 2014
- Research grant from the University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCCH) "Radiosensitisation of HNSCC with sorafenib"
Co-operation partner
- Prof Dr Ole Ammerpohl, Ulm University Hospital, Institute of Human Genetics
- PD Dr Chia-Jung Busch, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery
- Prof Dr Stefan Eichmüller, DKFZ, Heidelberg, GMP & T-cell therapy working group
- Sacha Gnjatic (PhD), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Prof. Dr Dirk Jäger working group, National Centre for Tumour Diseases, Heidelberg
- Working group Prof Dr Hans Kestler, University of Ulm, Medical Systems Biology
- Working group Prof. Dr Jens-Peter Klussmann / Prof. Dr Claus Wittekindt, Giessen University Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology
- Dr Jan Krönke, Ulm University Hospital, Department of Haematology and Oncology
- Prof Dr Ramin Lotfi, Ulm University Hospital, Transfusion Medicine / DRK
- Prof Dr Gabriele Multhoff, Technical University of Munich, Department of Radiobiology
- Prof Dr Joannis Mytilineos, Ulm University Hospital, Transfusion Medicine / DRK
- Dr Michael Pawlita, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections (F020)
- Prof Dr Sven Perner, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Lübeck Campus, Institute of Pathology
- Working group Prof Dr Hans-Georg Rammensee, University of Tübingen, Department of Immunology
- Andrew G. Sikora (MD/PhD), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
Tumour Antigens and Immunotherapy Research Group (Cancer Antigens and Immunotherapy)
Head: Dr med. S. Laban
Contact address:
Ulm University Hospital
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery
Frauensteige 12
89075 Ulm