Immune Microenvironment

The D170 Microenvironment Team focuses on identification of immunotherapeutic targets within the central nervous system microenvironment with the goal to enhance the reactivity of the patient’s immune system against malignant brain tumors. Preclinical models as well as clinical samples of primary brain tumors and autoimmune encephalomyelitis are used to decipher cellular mechanisms of immune regulation within the CNS. Main research topics include the role of tumor blood vessels for activation, transmigration and effector function of antigen-specific T cells, the impact of kynurenine pathway metabolites and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling on tumor immunity as well as the development of immunotherapeutics for histone-3 mutant midline gliomas.

• Vascular control of tumor immunity in the CNS 
• The role of CXCL10 in the immune regulation of melanoma and glioma 
• Impact of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling on immunity & AHR inhibitor development 
• Advancing neoepitope-specific vaccines in Neurooncology 
• A MultIceNTer PhasE I RNA VaCcine Trial to Exploit NeoePitope-Specific T Cells for the Treatment of H3.3-Mutated Gliomas – INTERCEPT H3.3

• Katharina Sahm, MD - Team leader
• Niklas Graßl, MD
• Georgios Samaras, PhD student
• Isabelle Bernhardt, MD student
• Kristine Jähne - Technical Assistance

• Grassl N, Poschke I, Lindner K, Bunse L, Mildenberger I, Boschert T, Jähne K, Green EW, Hülsmeyer I, Jünger S, Kessler T, Suwala AK, Eisele P, Breckwoldt MO, Vajkoczy P, Grauer OM, Herrlinger U, Tonn JC, Denk M, Sahm F, Bendszus M, von Deimling A, Winkler F, Wick W, Platten M*, Sahm K*. A H3K27M-targeted vaccine in adults with diffuse midline glioma. Nat Med. 2023 *equal contribution
• Sahm K, Kessler T, Eisele P, Ratliff M, Sperk E, König L, Breckwoldt MO, Seliger C, Mildenberger I, Schrimpf D, Herold-Mende C, Zeiner PS, Tabatabai G, Meuth SG, Capper D, Bendzus M, von Deimling A, Wick W, Sahm F, Platten M. Concurrent gliomas in patients with multiple sclerosis. Commun Med. 2023
• Grassl N*, Sahm K*, Süße H, Poschke I, Bunse L, Bunse T, Boschert T, Mildenberger I, Rupp AK, Ewinger MP, Lanz LM, Denk M, Tabatabai G, Ronellenfitsch MW, Herrlinger U, Glas M, Krex D, Vajkoczy P, Wick A, Harting I, Sahm F, von Deimling A, Bendszus M, Wick W, Platten M. INTERCEPT H3: a multicenter phase I peptide vaccine trial for the treatment of H3-mutated diffuse midline gliomas. Neurol Res Pract. 2023 *equal contribution
• Abu Hejleh AP, Huck K, Jähne K, Tan CL, Lanz TV, Epping L, Sonner JK, Meuth SG, Henneberg A, Opitz CA, Herold-Mende C, Sahm F, Platten M, Sahm K. Endothelial Indoleamine-2,3-Dioxygenase-1 is not Critically Involved in Regulating Antitumor Immunity in the Central Nervous System. Int J Tryptophan Res. 2023
• Zhang X-W, Huck K, Jähne K, Cichon F, Sonner JK, Ufer F, Bauer S, Woo MS, Green E, Lu K, Kilian M, Friese MA, Platten M, Sahm K. Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein/activity-regulated gene 3.1 (Arc/Arg3.1) enhances dendritic cell vaccination in experimental melanoma. Oncoimmunology. 2021
• Deumelandt K, Platten M, Ochs K. Synergy of vaccination and agonist OX40 treatment-toward a mechanism-driven combination of glioma immunotherapy. Neuro Oncol. 2018
• Ochs K*, Ott M*, Bunse T, Sahm F, Bunse L, Deumelandt K, Sonner JK, Keil M, von Deimling A, Wick W, Platten M. K27M-mutant histone-3 as a novel target for glioma immunotherapy. Oncoimmunology, 2017. *equal contribution