Young scientists from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut received the Langen Junior Science Award in 2021 for outstanding research achievements.
Every year, the Association for the Promotion of the Langen Science Award recognises talented scientists from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut for their successful research. The award is financed by Sparkasse Langen.
1st Prize 2021: In their research on CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell therapy, Shiwani Agarwal and Julia Hanauer found that a subgroup of T immune cells called CD4+ CAR T cells are significantly more effective at killing cancer cells than the CD8+ CAR T cells that have hitherto been the main players in CAR T cell therapy. Unlike the process used in authorised CAR T cell drugs, the research team from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut generated the CAR T cells directly in the mouse organism. CAR T cells are the body's own T lymphocytes, which take on the function of killing cancer cells after CAR gene transfer. The cells these are then returned to patients to kill cancer cells.
1st Prize 2021: Cindy Hörner and Christoph Schürmann studied COVID-19 vaccine concepts in the laboratory. The concepts they researched were based on an attenuated and well-tolerated measles vaccine virus as a vector and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein gene as an antigen gene, incorporated at various sites of the vector gene. One variant showed good genetic vector stability in cell culture. After mice and hamsters were vaccinated twice, high levels of specific antibodies and a cellular T cell immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were detected. This research supports the continued development and regulation of COVID-19 vector vaccines.
2nd Prize 2021: In her research, Jasmin Popp describes the "Pis s 1" storage protein as an immunodominant major allergen in children with pea allergies. It was possible to identify areas of the allergen (epitopes) that allowed for a distinction between symptomatic allergy and symptom-free sensitisation in the study group. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between allergens and the immune system, support the quality assessment of diagnostic allergen extracts, and could be used for improved pea allergy diagnostics.
2nd Prize 2021: Oliver Siering showed in his research that the viral C protein is essential for the virulence and pathogenicity of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) in ferrets. Normally, CDV suppresses the production of viral RNA molecules that would otherwise stimulate an innate immune response. A research group led by Oliver Siering generated an attenuated virus in which the C protein, which inhibits RNA production, was disrupted by means of mutation. The virus variant, which was attenuated in its virulence, caused virtually no clinical signs of infection in infected ferrets, in contrast to the original CDV. This result shows the relevance of the C protein for virus pathogenicity.
Agarwal S, Hanauer JDS, Frank AM, Riechert V, Thalheimer FB, Buchholz CJ (2020): In vivo generation of CAR T cells selectively in human CD4+ lymphocytes.
Mol Ther 28: 1783-1794.
Hörner C, Schürmann C, Auste A, Ebenig A, Muraleedharan S, Dinnon KH, Scholz T, Herrmann M, Schnierle B, Baric RS, Mühlebach MD (2020): A Highly Immunogenic Measles Virus-based Th1-biased COVID-19 Vaccine.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 117: 32657-32666.
Popp J, Trendelenburg V, Niggemann B, Randow S, Völker E, Vogel L, Reuter A, Spiric J, Schiller D, Beyer K, Holzhauser T (2020): Pea (Pisum sativum) allergy in children: Pis s 1 is an immunodominant major pea allergen and presents IgE binding sites with potential diagnostic value.
Clin Exp Allergy 50: 625-635.
Siering O, Sawatsky B, Pfaller CK (2021): C Protein is Essential for Canine Distemper Virus Virulence and Pathogenicity in Ferrets.
J Virol 95: e01840-20.