Spatial profiling of the tumor microenvironment in CRC
Research Focus
S02 provides an advanced immune monitoring platform that supports the consortium by combining high-plex protein analysis (COMET, PhenoImager, HALO) with spatial transcriptomics (GeoMx, Xenium), enabling detailed mapping of proteins and gene expression at regional and single-cell resolution in patient samples and preclinical models.
Main Collaborations
- P01 Greten: Modulating CAF plasticity to enable immunotherapy of colorectal cancer:
- P02 Büttner/Flinner: Multi modal prediction of therapy response for rectal cancer patients:
- P03 Briquez/Fichtner-Feigl/Reuten: Metastasis predisposing extracellular matrix architecture in colorectal cancer:
- P04 Farin/Stemmler: Mapping the CAF subtype-dependent reciprocal signaling in the CRC niche:
- P05 Neufert: The role of LIFR signaling in CAFs in CRC:
- P06 Günther/Naschberger: Impact of vascular plasticity on therapy responses in CRC:
- P07 Berlin/Groß: Specific role(s) of the inflammasome in the TME of primary and metastasized sporadic CRC:
- P08 Weigert: The role of IL-38 in shaping tumor-promoting versus protective inflammation in colorectal cancer:
- P09 Koop/Neurath: Unraveling the role of stromal IL-36R signaling in colorectal tumorigenesis:
- P10 Bengsch/Feuerstein: Targeting the intra-metastatic microbiome in colorectal cancer:
- P11 Arkan/Tatarova: Role of microbial amino acid metabolism on chemotherapy response in CRC:
- P12 Rosshart: Identification of immunomodulatory microbial metabolites as novel therapeutics for advanced CRC:
- P13 Müller/Zundler: Modulation of CRC development and progression by GPR15L-dependent effects on lymphocyte infiltration and the intestinal microbiota:
- P14 Kesselring/Minguet: The role of γδ T cells in the tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer:
- P15 Hildner: Tumor stroma-derived signals impair cDC1-dependent checkpoint inhibition as a potential resistance mechanism of colorectal cancer immunotherapy:
- P16 Fichtner-Feigl/Imkeller: The role of primary-CRC-derived adaptive immune cells in anti-metastasis immunity:
- P17 Ziegler: STAT3-controlled cross-dressing of dendritic cells in anti-tumor immunity:
- P18 Buchholz/Farin: Identifying and overcoming CAR T cell barriers in the colorectal carcinoma microenvironment:
- P19 Wiegering: Targeting colorectal liver metastasis by overcoming MYC-induced immune evasion:
- S01 Berlin/Greten/Naschberger: Human tumor organoid biobanks for preclinical validation:
- S03 Börries/Gupta: Research information infrastructure, data management and bioinformatics core:
Publications
Spatial immune profiling defines a subset of human gliomas with functional tertiary lymphoid structures
Cakmak P, Lun JH, Singh A, Macas J, Schupp J, Schuck J, Mahmoud Z, Köhler M, Starzetz T, Burger MC, Steidl E, Hasse LM, Hattingen E, Plate KH, Reiss Y, Imkeller K.
Immunity. 2025 Oct 21:S1074-7613(25)00429-7. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2025.09.018.
Identification and characterization of tertiary lymphoid structures in brain metastases
Mughal SS, Reiss Y, Felsberg J, Meyer L, Macas J, Schlue S, Starzetz T, Köhrer K, Fehm T, Müller V, Lamszus K, Schadendorf D, Helfrich I, Wikman H, Berghoff A, Brors B, Plate KH, Reifenberger G.
Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2025 May 3;13(1):91. doi: 10.1186/s40478-025-02007-x.
Glioma-associated tertiary lymphoid structures are sites of lymphocyte clonal expansion and plasma cell formation
Pinar Cakmak, Jennifer H. Lun, Aakanksha Singh, Jadranka Macas, Jonathan Schupp, Miriam Köhler, Tatjana Starzetz, Michael C. Burger, Eike Steidl, Lucie Marie Hasse, Elke Hattingen, Karl H. Plate, Yvonne Reiss, Katharina Imkeller
Intracranial injection of natural killer cells engineered with a HER2-targeted chimeric antigen receptor in patients with recurrent glioblastoma
Burger MC, Forster MT, Romanski A, Straßheimer F, Macas J, Zeiner PS, Steidl E, Herkt S, Weber KJ, Schupp J, Lun JH, Strecker MI, Wlotzka K, Cakmak P, Opitz C, George R, Mildenberger IC, Nowakowska P, Zhang C, Röder J, Müller E, Ihrig K, Langen KJ, Rieger MA, Herrmann E, Bonig H, Harter PN, Reiss Y, Hattingen E, Rödel F, Plate KH, Tonn T, Senft C, Steinbach JP, Wels WS.
Neuro Oncol. 2023 Nov 2;25(11):2058-2071. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noad087.