Research Focus

Oncology & Hematology

Area of Research

Definition of new target molecules and therapies for the treatment of solid tumors, in particular immunomodulatory therapies; analysis of primary tumor material from patients under immunotherapy; description and manipulation of sugar chains in the tumor; development of cellular therapies such as adoptive T cell transfer for the treatment of tumors and translation into phase I/II studies.

• Ono Research Grant, 2022
• Innovation Focus Cell Therapy (Co-Applicant), University Hospital, 2021-2026
• Cancer Research Switzerland, (KFS-5239-02-2021R), 2021-2024
• Innosuisse grant (42408.1 IP-LS), 2020-2022
• SNSF Project Grant, (310030_184720/1), 2019-2022
• Swiss Cancer Research, Treatment of relapsed glioblastoma patients with targeted immunoliposomes, 2017-2019
• Research Grant, Krebsliga Beider Basel, 2017

National Collaborations

• Prof. George Coukos, CHUV, Cell Therapies
• Prof. Markus Jörger, KS St.Gallen, Phase 1 Therapies
• Prof. Christoph Mamot, KS Aarau, Glioblastom trials
• Prof. Stephan von Gunten, Bern, Glycosylation in Cancer
• Prof. Thierry Hennet, Uni ZH, Glycosylation/Enzymes

International Collaborations

• Prof. Carolyn Bertozzi, Stanford University, CA, USA, Glycan-based therapies
• Prof. Thomas Boltije, Radboud University, Netherlands, Inhibitors of glycosylation
• Prof. Ajit Varki, UCSD, CA, USA, Sialic acids and glycans
• Prof. John Haanen, NKI, Amsterdam, Netherlands, TIL Therapy
• Prof. Lukas Flatz, Tübingen, Germany, Immunotherapy
• Prof. Celso Reis, Porto, Portugal, Immunotherapy and Glycans
• Dr. Oliver Pearce, Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK, Glycans

• Cell Therapies for solid tumors (TIL project, CAR T cell project targeting FAP, using IL-10 to improve CAR T cell therapy, undisclosed new CAR)
• New IL-2 variants for TIL therapy (together with Anaveon)
• CAR T cell therapy for Glioblastoma treatment
• Siglec, sialoglycan targeting (basic and translational research projects)
• Glycan-targeting for cancer immunotherapy