Kiel immunologist receives 2.5 million euros for T cell research!

Kiel immunologist receives 2.5 million euros for T cell research!

A major step in immune research was announced today: Kiel immunologist Alexander Scheffold will receive funding of 2.5 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC) for his pioneering project “RespecTreg”. The funding will be available for the next five years and has the potential to usher in a new era in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The stated goal of the research is the targeted activation of regulatory T cells in order to prevent autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. These innovative approaches could bring real breakthroughs in therapy, as Tixio reports.

But what exactly are these regulatory T cells and why are they so important? These special immune cells make up about 5-7% of CD4+ T cells in the human body and are crucial for maintaining immune tolerance. A deficiency or dysfunction of these cells can result in serious immune diseases, as highlighted in PMC. The key to successful immune regulation is the protein FOXP3, and mutations in this area can have serious consequences.

A look at the research

Scheffold's study is based on the method developed in Kiel called ARTE, which makes it possible to precisely analyze rare cell types. Initial results indicate that organs, particularly the pancreas, are strongly protected by regulatory T cells, which opens up new perspectives for the therapy of diseases in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue. These findings could also be applicable to other autoimmune diseases.

Research surrounding T cells is a hot topic in the medical world. Adoptive T cell therapy has established itself as a promising method in recent years, particularly in the treatment of tumors. For example, CAR T cells are now approved as last-line therapy for advanced B-cell lymphomas and B-cell leukemia. Other genetically modified T cells also show promising results in clinical studies, as described in Klinikum Heidelberg.

Challenges and future prospects

The production and quality control of genetically modified Tregs represents a significant challenge, especially in the early clinical development phase. Patients benefit from the advances, but there are still no specific drugs that can directly influence the activity of Tregs. The researchers are therefore working on innovative strategies to further improve the therapeutic use of Tregs.

In summary, the exciting research by Alexander Scheffold and other scientists is not only important for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, but could also have broad implications for cancer immunotherapy. It remains to be seen what results the next few years will bring, but the enthusiasm in the scientific community is evident.