In this project, the MD candidate will use samples from immunotherapy-naïve stage IV metastatic melanoma patients with monitored clinical responses. Natural killer (NK) are part of the innate immune system and constitute tools for innovative therapies. By data analysis of existing data sets and by using multiplex immunohistochemistry the MD candidate will explore NK cell transcriptomics landscapes and map the localization of NK cells in the context of other immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, providing insights into their roles during treatment of patients with checkpoint inhibitors. Additionally, in vitro co-cultures of NK cells with melanoma cells will shed light on the interactions between these cell types. Collectively, this project will pave the way for the development of novel NK cell-based anticancer treatments for patients with metastatic melanoma. The project will be jointly supervised by Prof. Dr. Sònia Tugues and Prof. Adelheid Cerwenka.
Please send your application to
Adelheid.cerwenka@medma.uni-heidelberg.de
tugues@immunology.uzh.ch
martin.schneider@medma.uni-heidelberg.de