Hugely significant results for immunotherapy

FAU researchers use AI to develop cancer treatment

Modern cancer immune therapies use the human immune system to fight cancer. Immune cells, in particular T cells, must be trained to recognize cancer cells and target them specifically. The team led by the physicist Prof. Dr. Julio Vera-González in the Laboratory of Systems Tumor Immunology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is working together with researchers from Erlangen, Amsterdam and Rostock to investigate how this can succeed. The researchers have published their results in the “Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer”.

An intelligent filter

If immune cells are to recognize cancer cells, the cancer cells must have suitable molecules known as tumor antigens. This is what allows immune cells to differentiate friends from foes in order to avoid attacking healthy tissue.
This is where the interdisciplinary team of researchers comes into play. Researchers from the Department of Dermatology, the Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Haematology and Oncology (Department of Medicine 5) at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen have worked together with researchers from Amsterdam and bioinformatics specialists from Erlangen and Rostock to develop a computing algorithm that analyzes large quantities of genetic and molecular cancer data. The algorithm developed by the researchers works like an intelligent filter that selects those antigens which will probably be most effective and that are expected to cause the least collateral damage. They have tried out the algorithm on a rare type of eye cancer, uveal melanoma, for which there is currently no cure. The algorithm selected antigens that were then used to stimulate T-cells donated by patients with uveal melanoma. “The results were promising,” said Prof. Vera-González, “as the “trained” T cells demonstrated the ability in the laboratory to recognize and destroy uveal melanoma cells without damaging healthy cells.”

This indicates that algorithmic, computer-based approaches may pave the way for effective cancer immune therapies. “This allows us to identify suitable antigens in cancer patients and tailor the treatment to individual patients. This may reduce side effects and improve the success of the therapy,” says Prof. Vera-González.

Part of two research projects

Prof. Vera- González’ research is part of two multi-disciplinary projects in which FAU researchers are involved. The MelAutim consortium hopes to gain an understanding of the interaction mechanisms between the immune system and melanoma tumors. It is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Vera-González and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The EU Horizon 2020 project CANCERNA is researching RNA-based immune therapies against cancer and is a collaboration between FAU and laboratories in Israel, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.

doi: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008104

Further information

Prof. Dr. Julio Vera-González
Phone: + 49 9131 85 45876
julio.vera-gonzalez@uk-erlangen.de