New Research Projects in Immunotherapy at BayImmuNet

The Bavarian Immunotherapy Network (BayImmuNet) started a year ago has expanded its network with ten further research projects. The projects located in Erlangen, Würzburg, Regensburg and Munich are being promoted at a cost of 2.4 million Euro by the State of Bavaria. With these research approaches, new therapies are to be applied in cancer, infectious diseases and autoimmune disease, where convention concepts are increasingly reaching their limits. The goal is to develop new approaches, which – depending on the indication – have an influence on the human immune system. In concrete terms treatment options are being researched in brain tumours, leukaemia, lymphomas, infectious diseases such as hepatitis C and AIDS and in autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The Bavarian Immunotherapy Network brings together expertise in this research and thereby speeds up its transfer into clinical application. Additionally BayImmuNet is closely networked with companies from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology branches so to intensify cooperation with business already during early research phases. Meanwhile there has been cooperation developed with almost 20 companies. A laboratory centre at the University Clinic of Regensburg (Jose‐Carreras Centre for Somatic Cell Therapy) will shortly be available to the researchers for the production of so-called cell medicines.