The M3 Research Center
Malignom, Metabolome and Microbiome

Zurück zum Hauptmenü
Zum Menü der Einrichtung

574

Adresse: Otfried-Müller-Straße 37
72076 Tübingen

Office

frontend.sr-only_#{element.icon}: +49 7071 29-82512
Christiane Döbele

frontend.sr-only_#{element.icon}: m3-office@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Microbiome-immune interactions

The microbiome plays a significant role in shaping the immune system's function and influencing the development of various disorders. Our research aims at studying the impact of microbiome-immune interactions on the development, progression, and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC).

Our research revolves around understanding how specific microbes interact with  the host, particularly their effects on the immune system, in IBD and CRC. Additionally, we investigate the potential of leveraging the microbiome as a therapeutic option for managing these disorders. We are particularly interested in unraveling the mechanisms employed by bacteria to influence IBD and CRC development, with the ultimate goal of utilizing this knowledge to develop tailored precision medicine approaches.

To achieve our objectives, we employ cutting-edge technologies and utilize state-of-the-art facilities. These include a top-of-the-line germ-free and gnotobiotic animal facility, advanced imaging capabilities, next-generation sequencing devices, untargeted metabolomics lipidomics platforms, and more.

Portrait

Dr. Lukas Mager

Head of the research group

frontend.sr-only_:

Lukas Mager studied medicine at the Medical University in Vienna, Austria and obtained his MD degree in 2010. After a short stay as a research associate at the Institute of Cancer Research and Institute of Immunology in Vienna he moved to Bern, Switzerland to obtain his PhD at the University of Bern in 2015. He performed his postdoctoral studies at the University of Calgary, Canada from 2017-2021. During these periods he gained considerable expertise in the fields of immunology, microbiome and cancer research, particularly how these fields intersect with each other. Starting from 2021 Lukas Mager is an independent group leader at the University Hospital Tübingen and the M3 Institute where he researches microbiome-host interactions particularly in the field of inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.

Lukas Mager completed his medical education at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and received his MD degree in 2010. Following a brief stay as a research associate at the Institute of Cancer Research and Institute of Immunology in Vienna, he relocated to Bern, Switzerland, to pursue his PhD studies at the University of Bern, which he successfully completed in 2015. Subsequently, he conducted his postdoctoral studies at the University of Calgary, Canada, from 2017 to 2021. Throughout these periods, he developed extensive expertise in the areas of immunology, microbiome, and cancer research, with a specific focus on their intersections.

Since 2021, Lukas Mager is an independent group leader at the University Hospital Tübingen and the M3 Institute. His research focuses on microbiome-host interactions, particularly in the context of inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.

Open positions

IBD
Inflammatory bowel disease
microbiome
-immune interactions
CRC
Colorectal cancer

Selected publications

  • Regula Burkhard, Mia Koegler, Kirsty Brown, Kirsten Wilson, Lukas F Mager, Amanda Z Zucoloto, Carolyn Thomson, Roopa Hebbandi Nanjundappa, Isla Skalosky, Shoku Ahmadi, Braedon McDonald, Markus B Geuking. Instestinal colonization regulates systemic anti-commensal immune sensitivity and hyperreactivity.Front Immunol. 2023. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1030395.
  • Kara Sampsell, Weilan Wang, Christina Ohland, Lukas F Mager, Nicola Pett, Dana E Lowry, Kate M Sales, Margaret L McNeely, Kathy D McCoy, S Nicole Culos-Reed, Raylene A Reimer. Exercise and Prebiotic Fiber Provide Gut Microbiota-Driven Benefit in a Survivor to Germ-Free Mouse Translational Model of Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel). doi: 10.3390/cancers14112722. (2022)
  • Kathy D McCoy and Lukas F Mager. Impact of the microbiome on tumor immunity. Curr Opin Immunol. doi: 10.1016/j.coi.2021.01.002 (2021).
  • Lukas F. Mager, Regula Burkhard, Nicola Pett, Noah C.A. Cooke, Kirsty Brown, Hena Ramay, Seungil Paik, John Stagg, Ryan A. Groves, Marco Gallo, Ian A. Lewis, Markus B. Geuking, Kathy D. McCoy. Microbiome-derived inosine modulates response to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. Science. doi: 10.1126/science.abc3421 (2020).
  • Eva Pastille, Marie-Hélène Wasmer, Alexandra Adamczyk, Vivian P. Vu, Lukas F. Mager, Nhi Ngo Thi Phuong, Vittoria Palmieri, Cedric Simillion, Wiebke Hansen, Stefan Kasper, Martin Schuler, Beat Muggli, Kathy D McCoy, Jan Buer, Inti Zlobec, Astrid M. Westendorf, Philippe Krebs. The IL-33/ST2 pathway shapes the regulatory T cell phenotype to promote intestinal cancer. Mucosal Immunology. doi: 10.1038/s41385-019-0176-y (2019)
  • Neunkirchner, A., Kratzer, B., Kohler, C., Smole, U., Mager, L. F., Schmetterer, K. G., Trapin, D., Leb-Reichl, V., Rosloniec, E., Naumann, R., Kenner, L., Jahn-Schmid, B., Bohle, B., Valenta, R. & Pickl, W. F. Genetic restriction of antigen-presentation dictates allergic sensitization and disease in humanized mice. EBioMedicine 31, 66-78, doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.04.001 (2018).
  • Saurer, L., Zysset, D., Rihs, S., Mager, L., Gusberti, M., Simillion, C., Lugli, A., Zlobec, I., Krebs, P. & Mueller, C. TREM-1 promotes intestinal tumorigenesis. Sci Rep 7, 14870, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-14516-4 (2017).
  • Mager, L. F., Koelzer, V. H., Stuber, R., Thoo, L., Keller, I., Koeck, I., Langenegger, M., Simillion, C., Pfister, S. P., Faderl, M., Genitsch, V., Tcymbarevich, I., Juillerat, P., Li, X., Xia, Y., Karamitopoulou, E., Lyck, R., Zlobec, I., Hapfelmeier, S., Bruggmann, R., McCoy, K. D., Macpherson, A. J., Muller, C., Beutler, B. & Krebs, P. The ESRP1-GPR137 axis contributes to intestinal pathogenesis. Elife. doi:10.7554/eLife.28366 (2017)
  • Mager, L. F., Wasmer, M. H., Rau, T. T. & Krebs, P. Cytokine-Induced Modulation of Colorectal Cancer. Front Oncol 6, 96, doi:10.3389/fonc.2016.00096 (2016).
  • Mertz, K. D., Mager, L. F.*, Wasmer, M. H., Thiesler, T., Koelzer, V. H., Ruzzante, G., Joller, S., Murdoch, J. R., Brummendorf, T., Genitsch, V., Lugli, A., Cathomas, G., Moch, H., Weber, A., Zlobec, I., Junt, T. & Krebs, P. The IL-33/ST2 pathway contributes to intestinal tumorigenesis in humans and mice. Oncoimmunology 5, e1062966, doi:10.1080/2162402X.2015.1062966 (2016). * shared first author
  • Mager, L. F., Riether, C., Schurch, C. M., Banz, Y., Wasmer, M. H., Stuber, R., Theocharides, A. P., Li, X., Xia, Y., Saito, H., Nakae, S., Baerlocher, G. M., Manz, M. G., McCoy, K. D., Macpherson, A. J., Ochsenbein, A. F., Beutler, B. & Krebs, P. IL-33 signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative neoplasms. J Clin Invest 125, 2579-2591, doi:10.1172/JCI77347 (2015).
  • Klampfl, T., Bogner, E., Bednar, W., Mager, L., Massudom, D., Kalny, I., Heinzle, C., Berger, W., Stattner, S., Karner, J., Klimpfinger, M., Furstenberger, G., Krieg, P. & Marian, B. Up-regulation of 12(S)-lipoxygenase induces a migratory phenotype in colorectal cancer cells. Exp Cell Res 318, 768-778, doi:10.1016/j.yexcr.2011.12.017 (2012).