iFIT Seminar Series 2023 with Dr. Erik Aarntzen
Integrating molecular imaging in immune-oncology
On behalf of the iFIT spokespersons Lars Zender, Hans-Georg Rammensee and Bernd Pichler, it is our pleasure to inform you about and invite you to the next episode of our iFIT Seminar Series 2023 that will take place
on Monday, September 11th at 12:00 pm s.t. (CEST)
at the Big Lecture Hall (Medical Clinic, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen).
Our guest speaker Dr. Erik Aarntzen from Radbound University Medical Center will give a talk on
“Integrating molecular imaging in immune-oncology”
Our immune system, the most mobile organ in our body, mediates a vast number of medical conditions including cancer, infections and autoimmune diseases. Current molecular assays based on tissue samples emphasize the tremendous specificity of immune cells, as well as their context-driven plasticity. But data in human subjects on immune cell dynamics and organ interconnectivity is scarce. Recently introduced tracers for PET imaging of labelled immune cells allow capturing the spatial distributions of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells, both in numbers and over time.
This type of data will become essential to further understand the role of our immune system in host defense and the development of diseases and to efficiently develop immune cells directed therapeutic interventions. We set out a series of clinical studies on CD8+ T-cell tracking in patients to pioneer the potential of PET-based assessment of immune cells upon checkpoint inhibition and associated adverse events, acute phase COVID-19 and auto-inflammatory conditions. The multidimensional data that is generated lays a foundation for thorough validation and quantification, as well as the identification of spatial distribution patterns in relation to in vivo CD8+ T-cell behavior. Preliminary results indicate that PET imaging, in conjunction to conventional immunological assays, provides a comprehensive framework for studying immune responses in human subjects.
As a special feature of this program, the iFIT will sponsor free lunch packages! (First come, first serve)
All members of the University Hospital and University of Tübingen are invited to participate!
We look forward to this Seminar Series session and to see you there!
