Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Gerald Willlimsky

Scientific Scope

Research activities include the establishment of experimental cancer models in order to analyze cancer-host interactions, mechanisms involved in tumor rejection and to improve the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy against various cancer. Novel therapeutic human T cell receptors to target cancer and virus antigens are identified and TCR gene therapy will be employed in the clinic.

Selected References

• Willimsky, G., Beier, C., Immisch, L., Papafotiou, G., Scheuplein, V., Goede, A., Holzhütter, H.G., Blankenstein, T., Kloetzel, P.M.(2019) "In vitro proteasome processing of neo-splicetopes does not predict their presentation in vivo." eLife. 2021;10:e62019.
• Schmidt, K., Keller, C., Kühl, A.A., Textor, A., Seifert, U., Blankenstein, T., Willimsky, G.* and Kloetzel, P.M.*(2018) "ERAP1-Dependent Antigen Cross-Presentation Determines Efficacy of Adoptive T-cell Therapy in Mice." Cancer Res. 2018;78(12):3243-3254. *equal contribution.
• Hoser, D., Schön, C., Loddenkemper, C., Lohneis, P., Kühl, A.A., Sommermann, T., Blankenstein, T. and Willimsky, G.(2018) "Oncogene-specific T cells fail to eradicate lymphoma-initiating B cells in mice." Blood. 2018;132(9):924-934.
• Willimsky, G., Schmidt, K., Loddenkemper, C., Gellermann, J. and Blankenstein, T.(2013) "Virus-induced hepatocellular carcinomas cause antigen-specific local tolerance." J Clin Invest. 2013;123(3):1032-1043.
• Willimsky, G. and Blankenstein, T.(2005) "Sporadic immunogenic tumours avoid destruction by inducing T-cell tolerance." Nature. 2005;437(7055):141-146.