European Research Council supports research into new antibody therapies for lymphoma
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded a Starting Grant to Professor Dr. Dr. Philipp Schommers, scientist at the University Hospital of Cologne and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). The ERC provides up to 1.5 million euros in funding over a period of five years to support exceptional researchers. Professor Schommers works in the DZIF’s HIV research area, where he investigates the development and mechanisms of action of antibodies and their potential for new therapeutic approaches.
The project supported by the ERC Starting Grant, titled “Mapping Immune Escape in Lymphoma and Overcoming It with Novel Optimized Multispecific Antibodies” (OPTIMsAB), aims to significantly improve the treatment of lymphomas. Led by Professor Schommers, Else Kröner Clinician Scientist at Clinic I for Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Cologne, the research team will investigate innovative immunotherapeutic approaches to enhance the efficacy of antibody therapies.
Bispecific antibodies (BiAbs) are laboratory-produced proteins that possess two different binding sites, allowing them to target two different structures simultaneously. While they have already transformed the treatment of lymphomas, many patients develop resistance. The OPTIMsAB project aims to understand these resistance mechanisms and to develop new, multispecific antibodies (msAbs) that can target multiple structures simultaneously and activate additional immune cells. By combining molecular analyses with innovative experiments, the scientists will map the surface characteristics of lymphoma cells and develop targeted msAbs that overcome these resistance mechanisms.
“This funding will enable us to improve lymphoma therapy by developing new antibodies that are both highly effective and safe,” says Prof. Schommers. The project promises not only new treatment options, but also the potential to advance the fundamental understanding of immune resistance in lymphomas.
Source: Press release of University of Cologne (german only)
