Tumor Immunology

The development and spread of malignant diseases depend largely on interactions between the tumor and the immune system. Inflammatory and regulatory immune cells accumulate in tumors, where they promote tumor growth, enable and support local and systemic spread, and suppress the development of an anti-tumor immune response. These processes occur both in the primary tumor and in metastases, as well as in the target tissues of future metastasis (pre-metastatic niche). Tumor-associated immune cells can be visualized using target-specific imaging and cell tracking. Their local accumulation as well as their activity can be measured and correlated with biological effects. Similarly, it is possible to visualize the formation of a premetastatic niche and, using specific imaging techniques, to investigate which factors influence the systemic spread of a tumor. In close collaboration with the Institute of Immunology and Medical Clinic A – Oncology, we are investigating how tumor-associated immune cells behave under established and experimental therapies and to what extent they influence treatment outcomes. We also investigate potential communication pathways between the tumor and the immune system and mediators of subsequent metastasis. To this end, we use specific molecular imaging techniques that enable us to visualize individual immune cell populations and their activity in the living organism. Additionally, cell tracking methods are employed to visualize directed cell migration and the distribution of subcellular particles.