Theurich Lab - Research
Our group aims to understand how anti-cancer immune responses are regulated by metabolic mechanisms and how systemic host factors such as pathologic changes in the body composition and metaflammation as well as the local microenvironment contribute to these complex networks. We specifically focus on cytotoxic lymphocytes, i.e. T- and Natural Killer (NK-) cells, and exploit their functionality in obesity-associated malignancies such as multiple myeloma. The other focus of the lab is to characterize and manipulate cytotoxic lymphocytes within the tumor microenvironment in order to enhance their anti- cancer immune responses. Complemented by translational and clinical analyses as well as metabolic interventions in cancer patients (nutrition, exercise, metabolic biomarkers) the overall goal of our group is to develop innovative immunometabolic therapeutic strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes of cancer patients.