Research Track
Renata Stripecke joined the MHH in 2007 and was from 2022 until 2026 a faculty member at the University of Cologne. She obtained her PhD in gene expression at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg. She specialized in gene-and immunotherapies as a post-doctoral fellow at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and assistant professor at the University of California Los Angeles. She teaches and supervises Master Students and PhD students.
Projects
Immunotherapies have shown clinical efficacy to cure cancers and chronic infections. We developed preclinically and patented chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells currently in clinical trials in Asia (Biosyngen). The next goal is off-the-shelf CRISPR-edited and RNA-based products. We collaborate and for partnerships with institutions and companies worldwide for clinical translation of new technologies.
Development of new immunotherapies requires adequate models with human immune responses to evaluate potency and immunotoxicity. We have a longstanding collaboration with The Jackson Laboratory (JAX, The Shultz Lab) for development of immunodeficient mouse strains and methods to harness development of human T and B cells in mice. In collaboration with JAX, Prof. Stripecke organizes training courses on humanized mice.
Publications & Funding
Full PubMed list of publications from Prof. Dr. Renata Stripecke
Selected Publications:
Villatoro A, Dougé A, Krpina K, Schmitz LM, Forcados C, Kaveh F, Arias-Díaz AE, Gelebart P, McCormack E, Stripecke R, Abal M, Davidson B, Inderberg EM, Wälchli S. Combining TAG-72CAR with anti-MUC16CAR improves the potency of ovarian cancer treatment. FEBS J. 2026 Oct 6. doi: 10.1111/febs.70760.
Kaeuferle T, Zwermann M, Stoll N, Ferrada-Ernst P, Jablonowski L, Zeidler R, Willier S, Stenger D, Yassin A, Stripecke R, Feuchtinger T. All-in-one CRISPR/Cas-engineered glucocorticoid-receptor knock-out EBV-gp350-CAR knock-in T cells are potent and resistant to dexamethasone. Exp Hematol Oncol. 2025 Mar 19;14(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s40164-025-00631-w.
Darguzyte M, Antczak P, Bachurski D, Hoelker P, Abedpour N, Gholamipoorfard R, Schlößer HA, Wennhold K, Thelen M, Garcia-Marquez MA, Koenig J, Schneider A, Braun T, Klawonn F, Damrat M, Rahman M, Kleid JM, Theobald SJ, Bauer E, von Kaisenberg C, Talbot SR, Shultz LD, Soper B, Stripecke R. Long-Term Human Immune Reconstitution, T-Cell Development, and Immune Reactivity in Mice Lacking the Murine Major Histocompatibility Complex: Validation with Cellular and GeneExpression Profiles. Cells. 2024 Oct 12;13(20):1686. doi: 10.3390/cells13201686.
Santamorena MM, Tischer-Zimmermann S, Bonifacius A, Mireisz CN, Costa B, Khan F, Kulkarni U, Lauruschkat CD, Sampaio KL, Stripecke R, Blasczyk R, Maecker-Kolhoff B, Kraus S, Schlosser A, Cicin-Sain L, Kalinke U, Eiz-Vesper B. Engineered HCMV-infected APCs enable the identification of new immunodominant HLA-restricted epitopes of anti-HCMV T-cell immunity. HLA. 2024 Jun;103(6):e15541. doi: 10.1111/tan.15541.
Kath J, Franke C, Drosdek V, Du W, Glaser V, Fuster-Garcia C, Stein M, Zittel T, Schulenberg S, Porter CE, Andersch L, Künkele A, Alcaniz J, Hoffmann J, Abken H, Abou-El-Enein M, Pruß A, Suzuki M, Cathomen T, Stripecke R, Volk HD, Reinke P, Schmueck-Henneresse M, Wagner DL. Integration of ζ-deficient CARs into the CD3ζ gene conveys potent cytotoxicity in T and NK cells. Blood. 2024 Jun 20;143(25):2599-2611. doi: 10.1182/blood.2023020973.
Theobald SJ, Fiestas E, Schneider A, Ostermann B, Danisch S, von Kaisenberg C, Rybniker J, Hammerschmidt W, Zeidler R, Stripecke R. Fully Human Herpesvirus-Specific Neutralizing IgG Antibodies Generated by EBV Immortalization of Splenocytes-Derived from Immunized Humanized Mice. Cells. 2023 Dec 21;13(1):20. doi: 10.3390/cells13010020.
Braun T, Pruene A, Darguzyte M, Vom Stein AF, Nguyen PH, Wagner DL, Kath J, Roig-Merino A, Heuser M, Riehm LL, Schneider A, Awerkiew S, Talbot SR, Bleich A, Figueiredo C, Bornhäuser M, Stripecke R. Non-viral TRAC knocked-in CD19CAR-T and gp350CAR-T cells tested against Burkitt lymphomas with type 1 or 2 EBV infection: In vivo cellular dynamics andpotency. Front Immunol. 2023 Mar 24;14:1086433. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1086433.
Zhang X, Wang T, Zhu X, Lu Y, Li M, Huang Z, Han D, Zhang L, Wu Y, Li L, Klawonn F, Stripecke R. GMP development and preclinical validation of CAR-T cells targeting a lytic EBV antigen for therapy of EBV-associated malignancies. Front Immunol. 2023 Feb 2;14:1103695. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1103695.
Wagner DL, Koehl U, Chmielewski M, Scheid C, Stripecke R. Review: Sustainable Clinical Development of CAR-T Cells - Switching From Viral Transduction Towards CRISPR-Cas Gene Editing. Front Immunol. 2022 Jun 17;13:865424. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.865424.
We thank several institutions for generous funding:
- National Institutes of Health (USA)
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (USA)
- Concern Foundation (USA), Stop Cancer (USA)
- The Jackson Laboratory (USA)
- German Research Council (Germany)
- German Cancer Aid (Germany)
- Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (Germany)
- Jose Carreras Leukemia Foundation (Germany)
- German Center for Infectious Diseases (Germany)
- Cancer Research Center Cologne Essen (CCCE)
- Hector Stiftung (Germany)
Additional Information
Link to the Clinic of Hematology, Homeostasis, Oncology and Cell Therapy
Director Prof. Dr. Florian Heidel
Link to Courses and Services for Students