News

Cancer vaccines can support the body's own immune system to fight a tumor. Since mutations in tumor cells often lead to specifically altered proteins, a vaccine can boost the immune system to recognize such mutated proteins. Scientists and clinicians around Prof. Michael Platten and within the German Cancer Consortium DKTK and the German Neurooncology Working Group NOA for the first time have tested a mutation-specific vaccine targeting a glioma driver mutation in the IDH1 protein in malignant brain tumor patients in a phase 1 clinical study. They demonstrate not only safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine, but also show enhanced local immune reactions and IDH1 mutant-specific activated T cells within the tissue after vaccination. (Platten et al. Nature 2021 als link zu https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03363-z#citeas)

To press release als link zu https://www.dkfz.de/de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2021/dkfz-pm-21-17-Impfung-gegen-mutiertes-Protein-erstmals-bei-Hirntumor-Patienten-geprueft.php (in German only)

Malignant brain tumors, such as glioblastomas are frequently resistant to immunotherapies. Scientists from Prof. Dr. Michael Platten's lab at the German Cancer Research Center and Mannheim University Hospital were able to identifiy a mechanism of restistance to immune checkpoint blockade in a mouse model of glioma. (Katrin Aslan, et al. Nature Communications, 2020)

to press release (in German only)

Nine researchers at dkfz are among the world's most influential researchers of the past decade, demonstrated by the production of multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year. Michael Platten is included in this ranking of "Highly Cited Researchers" in the "cross-field" category.

to press release (in German only) 

Lukas Bunse from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and the University Hospital Mannheim receives this year's Swiss Bridge award. Bunse shares the award with a Swiss scientist. Both of them receive 250,000 Swiss francs for the implementation of their research projects.

to press release (in German only) 

With Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) allows researchers to tackle innovative, challenging, complex and long-term research undertakings through the coordination and concentration of individuals and resources within the applicant universities. The new CRC 1389 "Understanding and targeting resistance in glioblastoma – UNITEGLIOBLASTOMA" aims to develop concepts to predict and monitor treatment response and failure, and ultimately, to invent novel therapies for glioblastoma patients.

to press release (in German only) 

Prof. Dr. Michael Platten has been awarded the German Cancer Award 2019, one of the most prestigious distinctions in cancer medicine in Germany. Prof. Platten receives the award in the category Clinical Research for his work on immunotherapies for glioma, in particular for the discovery and development of a vaccine against IDH1 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1), a common mutation found in low-grade gliomas. 

to press release (in German only)

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