Oskar Staufer Awarded the Alois Lauer Research Prize
Advancing Cancer Immunotherapy Cancer cells often evade the body’s natural immune defenses, making targeted treatment a major scientific challenge. PSH member Oskar Staufer, Group Leader at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbrü... Read More
Advancing Cancer Immunotherapy Cancer cells often evade the body’s natural immune defenses, making targeted treatment a major scientific challenge. PSH member Oskar Staufer, Group Leader at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbrücken, has developed an innovative approach that could help make immunotherapies more effective. His research focuses on so-called bispecific T-cell engagers — engineered antibodies designed to bind simultaneously to an immune cell and a cancer cell, bringing them into close proximity enabling the immune cell to effectively eliminate the cancer cell. How exactly are these antibodies designed? Working in an international team between the UK and Germany, Staufer investigated four different antibody formats using artificial cell systems — precisely engineered cell models rather than natural cells. This innovative methodology allowed the team to uncover crucial design principles. Their findings show that not only the size, but especially the flexibility of these antibodies plays a critical role. In addition, the optimal physical distance between immune cell and cancer cell is essential for effective tumor destruction. These insights now make it possible to design antibodies more precisely — paving the way for more effective cancer drugs that better activate the immune system. For this scientific breakthrough, Oskar Staufer was awarded the Alois Lauer Medical Research Prize 2025. The award honors young scientists who have achieved outstanding contributions to medical research. We congratulate Oskar Staufer on this great achievement! Photo: privat Show Less
