Florian Stritzke

During my student years at the Technical University of Munich, my research focused on the interplay between immunity and cancer with an emphasis on innate immune pathways. Under the guidance of S. Heidegger and H. Poeck, I investigated tumor-derived molecular patterns that trigger innate immunity and thereby enhance cancer immunosurveillance, such as therapy response to immune checkpoint blockade. Herein, I found cytosolic nucleic acid receptors, that are activated by genotoxic stress during chemotherapy or radiotherapy, to play a critical role. This ongoing exploration of innate immune signals ultimately aims to improve clinically established immunotherapy for cancer patients.