Innovative Technology Decodes Immune Cell Communication to Personalize Cancer Treatment

A team of interdisciplinary scientists has pioneered a new technology that enables detailed mapping of immune cell interactions, providing crucial insights into how the human body fights infections and cancer. This advanced method measures millions of cell-to-cell interactions efficiently and cost-effectively, both in research settings and clinical practice. Its development was driven by collaboration across fields such as medicine, computer science, and biosciences, with key contributors including doctoral students Dominik Vonficht, Lea Jopp-Saile, Schayan Yousefian, and Viktoria Flore.

The technology offers a high-resolution view of immune responses, allowing researchers to observe how immune cells communicate during viral infections and autoimmune diseases. It visualizes immune networks in various tissues, highlighting their dynamic nature. The ultimate goal is to use these insights to predict individual responses to immunotherapies and optimize personalized treatment strategies.

The research, conducted in part at the Berlin Institute of Health in Charité, the Max Delbrück Center, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), and Queen Mary University of London, has shown promise in advancing cancer therapy. Cancer cells often evade immune detection by disrupting communication pathways among immune cells. Modern immunotherapies seek to restore or enhance this cellular dialogue—making the ability to analyze these interactions critical for improving outcomes.

Despite progress, predicting which patients will benefit from immunotherapies remains challenging. This new technology addresses this gap by enabling rapid and affordable analysis of immune cell interactions, supporting personalized medicine approaches. Researchers utilize this tool to study the mechanisms of immunotherapies and to develop dynamic maps of immune responses, which could lead to better prediction of treatment success.

By further translating these findings into clinical applications, scientists aim to refine immunotherapy strategies, improve patient outcomes, and advance personalized cancer treatments. The collaboration exemplifies how integrating interdisciplinary expertise can lead to breakthroughs in understanding immune functions and enhancing therapeutic options.