Nano-agents for the manipulation of innate immunity (A05)

• Subject Area: Biochemistry
• Term: from 2012 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 201269156

The project involves the synthesis of nano-agents that can regulate the strength of the innate immune system. Upregulation is needed for modern immune oncological tumour therapies, while downregulation will help to cure autoimmune diseases. We are planning to develop highly functional cGAMP derivatives that can either stimulate or degrade the STING receptor. The compounds will feature cell penetrating and targeting units that will also mask the charge of the phosphodiester linkages and that are cleaved once the compounds have entered the cell. Some will feature additionally ligands for the E2/E3 ligase that recruits these polyubiquitinating proteins to the STING receptor to trigger its degradation.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1032: Nanoagents for Spatio-temporal Control of Molecular and Cellular Reactions
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Thomas Carell