Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI
Cell and Molecular Biology
The Cell and Molecular Biology Unit researches and develops ways of manufacturing and testing the functionality of cellular immunotherapies. Besides viral and non-viral / mRNA-based gene transfer for cell modification, antibody-incubated cell therapies are also designed for graft optimization. In order to carry out functional testing with cell and gene therapeutics, the group creates human test systems based on standardized and patient-specific cell culture models.
Core competencies
- Designing cell and gene therapeutics
- Molecular cloning of natural and artificial immune receptors, for example CARs (chimeric antigen receptors)
- Modifying immune cells (focus on T cells)
- mRNA gene transfer and delivery methods
- In-vitro test procedure for functional testing:
- cytotoxicity tests
- determining cytokine release
- immunotolerance testing
- apoptosis induction
- Functional tests using conventional 2D and novel 3D cell culture models
- Immune cell phenotyping