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Dr. Bernd Heinrich has been awarded the DGVS Young Investigator Award for Liver Cancer, endowed with €5,000, by the DGVS for outstanding scientific achievements in research into hepatocellular carcinoma. The 35-year-old's research is dedicated to tumor immunology. In the award-winning work, patient samples from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were examined. The focus was on the analysis of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in the tumor environment. Innate lymphoid cells interact with tumor cells and cells in the environment by secreting messenger substances, so-called cytokines, and are themselves regulated by cytokines. It has been shown that a concentration gradient of certain cytokines develops in non-tumorous liver tissue up to the core of the liver tumor, which alters the composition and function of innate lymphoid cells. Using state-of-the-art single-cell sequencing analysis, it was found that the immune cells undergo a plastic change and can acquire functions of a different subgroup. In particular, cells of subgroup 2 (ILC2) were found significantly more frequently in some tumors and their genetic profile was associated with better survival.
In future work, the Heinrich research group will focus on the detailed analysis of the immune network and the interaction of innate and acquired immune cells in liver and biliary tract tumors. In the next steps, the knowledge gained will be used therapeutically to generate better anti-tumor immunity.