Research Group Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy of GI-Tumors
In recent years, immunotherapies are emerging as new treatment strategies for many types of cancer, but the response rates in many solid tumors are still very low. The efficacy of immunotherapy highly depends on an inflamed tumor phenotype with high infiltration of tumor-reactive T cells. Therefore, we are investigating the immune phenotype of GI-tumors as well as therapeutic strategies that have the potential to induce tumor-reactive T cells and improve efficacy of immunotherapies (eg. tumor vaccines). The results of these studies will be used to develop novel (combination) therapies.
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Research focus
- Immunotherapy of gastrointestinal tumors
- In situ vaccination for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
- Characterizing the immune landscape of gastrointestinal tumors
- Circulating biomarkers in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
- Circulating biomarkers in patients with neuroendocrine tumors
- Full spectrum flow cytometry as a tool for immunomonitoring
- Refinement methods (3R) to improve animal welfare in mouse models of liver cancer
3R Refinement - Injection-Tunnel
Within our Charité 3R funded refinement projects we developed an injection tunnel (registered utility model no. 202024100448), which can be used for less stressful injection of mice than standard fixation methods.
This video demonstrates how the tunnel is used. More information for Charité emplyees can also be found on the Refinement Sharepoint.
Team Members
Postdoctoral fellow
MD student
Postdoctoral fellow
doctoral student (veterinary medicine)
student research assistant
Research staff
Resident physician
PhD student
MSc student
MSc student
Collaborations
- Dr. vet. med. Nicola Beindorff (BERIC)
- Prof. Pratschke, Prof. Sauer, Prof. Schöning, PD Dr. med. Georg Lurje (Department of Surgery)
- Sawitzki group (Institute of Medical Immunology)
- Spranger group (Center for Cardiovascular Research (CCR))
- Dr. med. Lynn Savic (Radiology)
- Prof. Christoph Roderburg (Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Infektiologie, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf UKD)
- PD Dr. med. Nalan Utku (Institute of Medical Immunology)
Publications
Letter to the Editor: Clonally expanded CD8+ T cells in MASH - invited guests overstaying their welcome.
Hilbert N, Lurje G, Tacke F, Hammerich L, Lurje I. Hepatology 2024 Nov 7.doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000001122
A comprehensive 26-color immunophenotyping panel to study the role of the gut-liver axis in chronic liver diseases.
Bruneau A, Shevchenko Y, Tacke F, Hammerich L. Cytometry B Clin Cytom. 2024 Sep 9.doi: 10.1002/cyto.b.22203.
Ferroptosis in health and disease.
Berndt C, [...] Bruneau A, [...] Hammerich L, [...] Conrad M. Redox Biol. 2024 May 30;75:103211. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103211. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38908072
CCL18 aggravates atherosclerosis by inducing CCR6-dependent T-cell influx and polarization.
Singh A, Kraaijeveld AO, Curaj A, Wichapong K, Hammerich L, de Jager SCA, Bot I, Atamas SP, van Berkel TJC, Jukema JW, Comerford I, McColl SR, Mees B, Heemskerk JWM, Nicolaes GAF, Hackeng T, Liehn EA, Tacke F, Biessen EAL. Front Immunol. 2024 May 13;15:1327051. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1327051. eCollection 2024. PMID: 38807599 Free PMC article.
Overcoming Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Liver Cancer with Combination Therapy: Stronger Together?
Werner W, Kuzminskaya M, Lurje I, Tacke F, Hammerich L. Semin Liver Dis. 2024 Jun 21. doi: 10.1055/a-2334-8311. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38806159 Free article.
Fluorochrome-dependent specific changes in spectral profiles using different compensation beads or primary cells in full spectrum cytometry.
Shevchenko Y, Lurje I, Tacke F, Hammerich L. Cytometry A. 2024 Jun;105(6):458-463. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.24836. Epub 2024 Mar 21. PMID: 38511720
The suppressive tumor microenvironment of AFP-positive hepatocellular carcinoma and its therapeutic implications.
Lurje I, Hammerich L. Transl Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023 Dec 22;9:1. doi: 10.21037/tgh-23-81. eCollection 2024. PMID: 38317743 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
Comparing hypothermic oxygenated and normothermic liver machine perfusion: Translation matters.
Lurje I, Uluk D, Hammerich L, Pratschke J, Tacke F, Lurje G. J Hepatol. 2024 Apr;80(4):e163-e165. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.09.027. Epub 2023 Oct 10. PMID: 37827473 No abstract available.
Hepatic inflammatory responses in liver fibrosis
Hammerich L, Tacke F.
Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023 Oct;20(10):633-646.
Resolving 31 colors on a standard 3-laser full spectrum flow cytometer for immune monitoring of human blood samples
Hammerich L, Shevchenko Y, Knorr J, Werner W, Bruneau A, Tacke F.
Cytometry B Clin Cytom. 2023 May 20
Intratumoral dendritic cells and T cells predict survival in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
Werner W, Detjen K, Bruneau A, Lurje I, Nestel N, Jann H, Tacke F, Wiedenmann B, Roderburg C, Hammerich L.
Endocr Relat Cancer. 2023 Jun 2;30(7):e220357.
Hepatic Stellate Cells: Dictating Outcome in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
Wiering L, Subramanian P, Hammerich L.
Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023;15(6):1277-1292.
Elevated Serum Levels of CCL23 Are Associated with Poor Outcome after Resection of Biliary Tract Cancer.
Roderburg C, Labuhn S, Bednarsch J, Lang SA, Schneider AT, Hammerich L, Vucur M, Ulmer TF, Neumann UP, Luedde T, Loosen SH.
Mediators Inflamm. 2022 Dec 1;2022:6195004.
Expanding cross-presenting dendritic cells enhances oncolytic virotherapy and is critical for long-term anti-tumor immunity.
Svensson-Arvelund J, Cuadrado-Castano S, Pantsulaia G, Kim K, Aleynick M, Hammerich L, [...],Brody JD.
Nat Commun. 2022 Nov 22;13(1):7149.
Inflammatory Cytokines Associated with Diagnosis, Tumor Grade and Prognosis in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors.
Geisler L, Hellberg T, Lambrecht J, Jann H, Knorr J, Eschrich J, Loosen SH, Wree A, Hammerich L, Krieg A, Luedde T, Tacke F, Roderburg C, Mohr R.
J Clin Med. 2022 Oct 20;11(20):6191
Combination of G-CSF and a TLR4 inhibitor reduce inflammation and promote regeneration in a mouse model of ACLF.
Engelmann C, Habtesion A, Hassan M, Kerbert AJ, Hammerich L, [...], Jalan R.
J Hepatol. 2022 Nov;77(5):1325-1338
Immune Regulatory 1 Cells: A Novel and Potent Subset of Human T Regulatory Cells
Krause N, [...], Hammerich L, Tacke F, Haas JF, Müller T, Utku N
Front Immunol. 2022 Feb 8;12:790775
Ferroptosis in Cancer Immunotherapy—Implications for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Kusnick J, Bruneau A, Tacke F, Hammerich L*
Immuno 2022, 2(1), 185-217; doi.org/10.3390/immuno2010014
Elevated Flt3L Predicts Long-Term Survival in Patients with High-Grade Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.
Detjen KM, Otto R, [...] Tacke F, Roderburg C*, Hammerich L*.
Cancers (Basel). 2021 Sep 4;13(17):4463. doi: 10.3390/cancers13174463.
The Role of miRNA in the Pathophysiology of Neuroendocrine Tumors.
Geisler L, Mohr R, [...] Hammerich L, Tacke F, Wree A, Hellberg T, Roderburg C.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Aug 9;22(16):8569. doi: 10.3390/ijms22168569
In situ vaccination as a strategy to modulate the immune microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Lurje I, Werner W, Mohr R, Roderburg C, Tacke F, Hammerich L.
Front. Immunol. 22 Apr 2021. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.650486
Lessons From Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Trials in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Mohr R, Jost-Brinkmann F, Özdirik B, Lambrecht J, Hammerich L, [...] Roderburg C.
Front Immunol. 2021 Mar 30;12:652172.
Serum levels of circulatin microRNA-107 are elevated in patients with early-stage HCC.
Loosen SH, Castoldi M, Jördens MS, Roy S, Vucur M, Kandler J, Hammerich L, [...] Roderburg C.
PLoS One. 2021 Mar 12;16(3):e0247917. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247917.
From liver cirrhosis to cancer: The role of Micro-RNAs in Hepatocarcinogenesis.
Mohr R, Özdirik B, Lambrecht J, Demir M, [...] Tacke F, Hammerich L*, Roderburg C*.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Feb 2;22(3):1492. doi: 10.3390/ijms22031492.
Dendritic Cell and T Cell Crosstalk in Liver Fibrogenesis and Hepatocarcinogenesis: Implications for Prevention and Therapy of Liver Cancer.
Lurje I, Hammerich L, Tacke F.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(19), 7378. doi: 10.3390/ijms21197378.
Models of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms - Current status and future directions.
Detjen K*, Hammerich L*, Özdirik B, Demir M, Wiedenmann B, Tacke F, Jann H, Roderburg C.
Neuroendocrinology. 2021;111(3):217-236.