Kobold Lab
Immunopharmacology - AG Kobold
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Prof. Dr. med. Sebastian Kobold
Director
Lindwurmstraße 2a089/4400-5 7325 089/4400-5 7330
80337 Münchencijgcblgueoüjüämvim-ful_vfniuyziuemiCVResearch Topics
1. CAR T-cell therapy against solid tumors and leukemias
2. Enabling add-on-strategies for cellular therapies in solid tumors
3. Antibody therapies against several cancer entities
4. Influence of the cytokine Interleukin-22 on promoting tumor growth and metastases
Grants and Networks
Erkrankungsspezifische Modifikation von CAR T-Zellen mit Chemokinrezeptoren.
Funder: DFG
T-RAFICTracking and controlling therapeutic immune cells in cancer
Funder: Horizon Europe MSCA
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Welcome to the homepage of the Kobold lab “immunopharmacology“!
The goal of our group is to contribute to preclinical development and advancement of novel drugs and immunotherapies against human’s biggest foe: cancer.
Research topics and goals
Within this raising field of immuno-oncology, we mainly focus on engineering of genetically modified T cells, with not only the famous Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cells, but also own proprietary platforms, in several solid tumor type and leukemias. Within this field, we further develop approaches to enhance T cell´s full potential to approach and kill tumor cells via tumor infiltration and trafficking, T cell activation despite antigen escape and inhibition of local immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment (TME) in vitro and in vivo. [Publications: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
In addition, we also examine how bi- and polyspecific antibodies may bring T cells in the proximity of tumor cells both for enhanced killing in vitro and survival in vivo [Publication: 8]. As the majority of these novel and uncharted approaches to attack solid tumors and leukemias are not approved the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA), our mission is clear: To Make That Happen.
Our group also investigates the interactions of tumor cells and the immune system within the tumor microenvironment (TME), especially at the level of cytokines secreted by tumor and immune cells. For example, we were able to identify the cytokine Interleukin-22 as a unique protein, as it is secreted by immune cells within the TME, but acts on its native Interleukin-22 receptor on tumor cells to promote cancer progression in several cancer models. In our work, we examine its detailed interaction partners and implications for immune cell exhaustion in vitro and in vivo [Publications: 9, 10].
As very little is known about its pro-tumoral and pro-metastastic characteristic,our mission is clear: To Shed Light On The Mechanisms Behind.
Challenges for CAR T-cell therapy in solid tumors
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Principal InvestigatorProf. Dr. med. Sebastian KoboldInstitut für Klinische PharmakologieProject Management
Simone Gautier, M.A., M.E.U.SProject Management089 4400-57320Jclvüuisxgfblipvim fYula+vfiauyziu-mi
Dr. rer. nat. Kerstin AlthausProject Manager IOLINoipcblutgäbzgf;cvimtfulGvfiuyziu mi
Dr. rer. nat. Rosa Elena Andrade AguirreProject Manager BAYCELLatorpücg gumpgmivSim fSul_vfiuyzidusmiTechnical Assistants - Labor
Susanne WenkCTAcfcguWuiséiuovim-fuYlrvfiuyziYSu mi
Disha ShahTA (since 2025)Ymlczga, cazgzvimeful_vfiuyziuemi
Weronika SzulejkoTA (since 2025)éipüulog cßWfäikonüvimeful:#vfiuyziusmi
Sayantan Nandi, Ph. D.Research Assistent (since 2022)cgјgaubgu-ugudmlvimsful_vfiuyziuY-miPost-Docs
Dr. rer. nat. Daria BriukhovetskaPost-Doc (since 2018),mgnplg-jplfozüqibcogvi,m fulGvfiuyziu mi
Dr. med. Adrian GottschlichPost-Doc (since 2019)gmplgu/xüSbbcyzälyzvimeful+vfiuySziu mi
Dr. med. Sophia Stock, MHBAPost-Doc (since 2021)cüödzlg,scbüyovimtfulrvfiuyziuemi
Dr. rer. nat. Donjete SimnicaPost-Doc, funded by Walter-Benjamin Fellowships, active since 2022müukibiscSlvulygYvim-fulJ_vfiuyziutmi
Dr. med. Ngoc-Thien-Thu NguyenPost-Doc. IOLINbzfa uxfјiuvim f,ularvfiuyzius,miJanina Dörr, Ph. D.Post-Doc. BZKF Young Scientist FellowkgulugsmüipWpvimeful+vfiuyWziu-mi
Arman ÖnerPost-Docgpvgu üiuipvim/fulGvfiuyziu mi
Dr. phil. Marcel TrefnyPost-Doc. Marie Curie Fellowshipvgpyiä-bpiwuјvimefulhvfiuyzJiu mi
Stefanos MichaelidesPost-Doc. IOLIN (since 2025)cbiw,guüc vly;zgDiälmicvim-faulGvfiuyziusmi
Dr. med. Tengis TschaidsePost-Doc. IOLIN (since 2025)biuxlc bcyzglmcivim-ful_vfiuyziusmi
Dr. Bernhard Ransmayr
Natasha Samson, Ph. D.Post-Doc. Marie Curie Fellowshipugbgczgscgvcüuvimeful_vfiuyziusmi
Emanuele Carlini, M. Sc.Doctoral Researcher (PhD track), T-OP - (seit 2021)ivgu,fiäisygpälulvimJ-fulrvf:iuyziu miDoctoral Researchers
David Andreu Sanz, M. Sc.Doctoral researcher (PhD track), T-OP - (seit 2021)mgqlm gumpifvim-ful#vfiuyz,iueSmi
Mara HenrichDoctoral Researcher. LETSimmun CRC TRR 338. (PhD track) (since 2023)vgpg ziuplyz;vim-ful_vfiuyziu-mi
Philipp Jie MüllerDoctoral researcher (MD track). Deutsche Krebshilfe - (seit 2021)özevfiääipvim fulrvfiuyziuemi
Vivien MenkhoffDoctoral Researcher (MD track, FöFoLe) (since 2023)q:lqliueviuozüwwvim-ful+vfiudyziuemi
Emre ErdoganDoctoral researcher (PhD track, BAYCELLator - Bayerische Transformations und Forschungsstiftung) (since 2023)i ipmüxguvimsful#vfiuyziu dmi
Rasmus MüllerDoctoral researcher (MD track) (since 2023)pgcvfc, vfiääipvim-fulGvfi,uyzJiusmi
Charlotte CarcopinoDoctoral researcher (PhD track, BAYCELLator, Bayerische Transformations und Forschungsstiftung) (since 2023)yzgpäübbi ygpyüöl;uüvimsful_vfiuyziuemi
Jakob HarwoodDoctoral researcher (PhD track) (since 2024)kgoüjtzgpéüümvim fulGvfiuyziusmi
Thomas JanertDoctoral researcher. FöFoLe (MD track) (since 2024)bzüvgc-kguiapbvWim-fulhvfiuyziWu mi
Seoyoung JangDoctoral researcher. MD track - Deutschlandstipendium (since 2024)ciüјüfux akguxvim ful_vfiuyziusmi
Kathrin GabrielDoctoral researcher (PhD track) Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (since 2024)ogbzplu-xgjpliävim-ful#vfiuyziuemi
Wendy den HartogDoctoral researcher (PhD track) (since 2024)éiumј-miuvim-ful+Yvfiunyziu mi
Anna BöhmDoctoral researcher (MD track) (since 2024)guug jünizvvim-fYul_vWfiuySziu mi
Lilli BallheimerDoctoral researcher (MD track) (since 2025)älääl jgääzilvipvim fulGvfiuyziu mi
Jana EngesserDoctoral researcher (MD track) FöFoLe (since 2025)kgugtiuxiccipWDviYm-ful_vfiuyziu/mi
Mara Rachel ManieriDoctoral researcher (MD track) FöFoLe (since 2025)vYgpgevguliplvimefulW_vfiuyziu-mdi
Philipp Daniel PenoviciDoctoral researcher (MD track) FöFoLe (since 2025)özlälöö-öiuüqlDylvim/ful+vfiuyziu/mi
Simon DelahaisDoctoral researcher (PhD track. Stipendium: Bayerische Transformations und Forschungsstiftung) (since 2025)c:lvüu-miägzgdlcvimefuYl_vfiuyziu mi
Naima GierlichsDoctoral researcher (MD track) Deutsche Krebshilfe (since 2025)uglvg-xlipälyzcvimeful+vfiuyziutmi
Philipp SchnellDoctoral researcher (MD track, since 2025)öazlälöö-;cyzuiäävim-fuDl+nvfiuyziusmi
Leïla Munaretto, M.Sc.Doctoral researcher (PhD track, Marie Skłodowska-Curie program T-RAFIC ) (since 2025)äilägsvfugpibbüvimsful_vfiJuyziusmi
Iona Elisabeth KlepserDoctoral Researcher (MD track) funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hämatologie und Medizinische Onkologie (DGHO), active since 2025.lüug-oäiöcipygvöfc-äYvfemi
Martina de VizioDoctoral researcher (PhD track, Marie Skłodowska-Curie program T-RAFIC ) (since 2025);vgpblugsdmi;vim-ful_vfiWuyziu mi -
Top Publications (Updated December 2025)
Doctoral students as co-authors are underlined (starting in 1998)
Gottschlich A, Grünmeier R, Hoffmann GV, Nandi S, Kavaka V, Müller PJ, Jobst J, Oner A, Kaiser R, Gärtig J, Piseddu I, Frenz-Wiessner S, Fairley SD, Schulz H, Igl V, Janert TA, Di Fina L, Mulkers M, Thomas M, Briukhovetska D, Simnica D, Carlini E, Tsiverioti CA, Trefny MP, Lorenzini T, Märkl F, Mesquita P, Brabenec R, Strzalkowski T, Stock S, Michaelides S, Hellmuth J, Thelen M, Reinke S, Klapper W, Gelebart PF, Nicolai L, Marr C, Beltrán E, Megens RTA, Klein C, Baran-Marszak F, Rosenwald A, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Bröckelmann PJ, Endres S, Kobold S. Dissection of single-cell landscapes for the development of chimeric antigen receptor T cells in Hodgkin lymphoma. Blood. 2025 Apr 3;145(14):1536-1552. doi: 10.1182/blood.2023022197. JIF20. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006497124114607
Lacher SB, Dörr J, de Almeida GP, Hönninger J, Bayerl F, Hirschberger A, Pedde AM, Meiser P, Ramsauer L, Rudolph TJ, Spranger N, Morotti M, Grimm AJ, Jarosch S, Oner A, Gregor L, Lesch S, Michaelides S, Fertig L, Briukhovetska D, Majed L, Stock S, Busch DH, Buchholz VR, Knolle PA, Zehn D, Dangaj Laniti D, Kobold S*, Böttcher JP*. PGE2 limits effector expansion of tumour-infiltrating stem-like CD8+ T cells. Nature, 2024; May;629(8011):417-425. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07254-x. * share senior authorship. JIF 64.8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07254-x
Märkl F, Schultheiß C, Ali M, Chen SS, Zintchenko M, Egli L, Mietz J, Chijioke O, Paschold L, Spajic S, Holtermann A, Dörr J, Stock S, Zingg A, Läubli H, Piseddu I, Anz D, Minden MD, Zhang T, Nerreter T, Hudecek M, Minguet S, Chiorazzi N, Kobold S*, Binder M*. Mutation-specific CAR T cells as precision therapy for IGLV3-21R110 expressing high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Nature Communications, 2024; Feb 2;15(1):993. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45378-w. * share senior authorship. JIF 17. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45378-w
Wagenbauer KF, Pham N, Gottschlich A, Kick B, Kozina V, Frank C, Trninic D, Stömmer P, Grünmeier R, Carlini E, Tsiverioti CA, Kobold S*, Funke JJ*, Dietz H*. Programmable multispecific DNA-origami-based T-cell engagers. Nat Nanotechnology, 2023; Nov;18(11):1319-1326. doi: 10.1038/s41565-023-01471-7. * share senior authorship. JIF40. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-023-01471-7
- Gottschlich A, Thomas M, Grünmeier R, Lesch S, Rohrbacher L, Igl V, Briukhovetska D, Benmebarek MR, Vick B, Dede S, Müller K, Xu T, Dhoqina D, Märkl F, Robinson S, Sendelhofert A, Schulz H, Umut Ö, Kavaka V, Tsiverioti Ch, Carlini E, Nandi S, Strzalkowski T, Lorenzini T, Stock S, Müller P, Dörr J, Seifert M, Cadilha B, Brabenec R, Röder N, Rataj F, Nüesch M, Modemann F, Wellbrock J, Fiedler W, Kellner Ch, Beltrán E, Herold T, Paquet D, Jeremias I, von Baumgarten L, Endres S, Subklewe M, Marr C, Kobold S. (2023). Single-cell transcriptomic atlas-guided development of CAR-T cells for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Nature Biotechnology, 41 (11), 1618-1632. doi:10.1038/s41587-023-01684-0. JIF2022=68,2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36914885/
- Briukhovetska, D., Suarez-Gosalvez, J., Voigt, C., Markota, A., Giannou, A. D., Schubel, M., Jobst, J., Zhang, T., Dorr, J., Markl, F., Majed, L., Muller, P. J., May, P., Gottschlich, A., Tokarew, N., Lucke, J., Oner, A., Schwerdtfeger, M., Andreu-Sanz, D., Grunmeier, R., Seifert, M., Michaelides, S., Hristov, M., Konig, L. M., Cadilha, B. L., Mikhaylov, O., Anders, H. J., Rothenfusser, S., Flavell, R. A., Cerezo-Wallis, D., Tejedo, C., Soengas, M. S., Bald, T., Huber, S., Endres, S., & Kobold, S. (2023). T cell-derived interleukin-22 drives the expression of CD155 by cancer cells to suppress NK cell function and promote metastasis. Immunity, 56(1), 143-161 e111. doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2022.12.010. JIF2021=43,4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36630913/
- Briukhovetska, D., Dorr, J., Endres, S., Libby, P., Dinarello, C. A., & Kobold, S. (2021). Interleukins in cancer: from biology to therapy. Nature Reviews Cancer, 21(8), 481-499. doi:10.1038/s41568-021-00363-z. JIF2021=69,8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34083781/
- Lesch S, Blumenberg V, Stoiber S, Gottschlich A, Ogonek J, Cadilha B, Dantes Z, Rataj F, Dorman K, Lutz J, Karches C, Heise C, Kurzay M, Larimer B, Grassmann S, Rapp M, Nottebrock A, Kruger S, Tokarew N, Metzger P, Hoerth Ch, Benmebarek MR, Dhoqina D, Gruenmeier R, Seifert M, Oener A, Umut Ö, . . . Rothenfusser S, Duewell P, Koenig L, Schnurr M, Subklewe M, Liss A, Halama N, Reichert M, Mempel T, Endres S, Kobold S. (2021). T cells armed with C-X-C chemokine receptor type 6 enhance adoptive cell therapy for pancreatic tumours. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 5 (11), 1246-1260. doi:10.1038/s41551-021-00737-6. JIF2021=29,23. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-021-00737-6
- Cadilha B, Benmebarek MR, Dorman K, Oener A, Lorenzini T, Obeck H, Väntinnen M, Di Pilato M, Pruessmann JN, Stoiber S, Huynh D, Maerkl F, Seifert M, Manske K, Suarez-Gosalvez J, Zeng Y, Lesch S, Karches CH, Heise C, Gottschlich A, Thomas M, Marr C, Zhang J, Pandey D, Feuchtinger T, Subklewe M, Mempel TR, Endres S, Kobold S. (2021). Combined tumor-directed recruitment and protection from immune suppression enable CAR T cell efficacy in solid tumor. Science Advances, 7 (24). doi:10.1126/sciadv.abi5781. JIF2022=13,6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34108220/
- Benmebarek MR, Cadilha B, Hermman M, Lesch S, Schmitt S, Stoiber S, Darwich A, Augsberger Ch, Brauchle B, Rohrbacher L, Oener A, Seifert M, Schwerdtfeger M, Gottschlich A, Rataj F, Fenn NC, Klein Ch, Subklewe M, Endres S, Hopfner KP, Kobold S. (2021). A modular and controllable T cell therapy platform for acute myeloid leukemia. Leukemia, 35, 2243-2257. JIF2021=12,88. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33414484/
- Di Pilato M*, Kfuri-Rubens R*, Pruessmann J*, Ozga AJ*, Messemaker, M, Cadilha B, Sivakumar R, Cianciaruso Ch, Warner RD, Marangoni F, Carrizosa E, Lesch S, Billingsley J, Perez-Ramos D, Zavala F, Rheinbay E, Luster AD, Gerner MY, Kobold S, Pittet MJ, Mempel TR. (2021). CXCR6 positions cytotoxic T cells to receive critical survival signals in the tumor microenvironment. Cell, 184 (17), 4512-4530. *contributed equally. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.07.015. JIF2022=66,85. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092867421008564?dgcid=co author
Liu X, Li J, Cadilha B, Markota A, Voigt C, Huang Z, Lin P, Wang D, Juncheng D, Kranz G, Krandick A, Libl D, Zitzelsberger H, Zagorski I, Braselmann H, Pan M, Zhu S, Huang Y, Niedermeyer S, Reichel Ch, Uhl B, Briukhovetska D, Suarez Gosalvez J, Kobold S, Gires O, Wang H. (2019). Epithelial-type systemic breast carcinoma cells with a restricted mesenchymal transition are a major source of metastasis. Science Advances, 5 (6), eaav4275.doi:10.1126/sciadv.aav4275. JIF2022=13,6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31223646/
Ferrari de Andrade, L., Tay, R. E., Pan, D., Luoma, A. M., Ito, Y., Badrinath, S., Tsoucas, D., Franz, B., May, K. F., Jr., Harvey, C. J., Kobold, S., Pyrdol, J. W., Yoon, C., Yuan, G. C., Hodi, F. S., Dranoff, G., & Wucherpfennig, K. W. (2018). Antibody-mediated inhibition of MICA and MICB shedding promotes NK cell-driven tumor immunity. Science, 359(6383), 1537-1542. doi:10.1126/science.aao0505. JIF2021=47,73. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29599246/
Voigt C*, May P*, Gottschlich A*, Markota A, Wenk D, Gerlach I, Voigt S, Stathopoulos GT, Arendt K, Heise C, Rataj F, Janssen KP, Königshoff M, Winter H, Himsl I, Thasler W, Schnurr M, Rothenfußer S, Endres S, Kobold S. (2017). Cancer cells induce interleukin-22 production from memory CD4+ T cells via interleukin-1 to promote tumor growth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 114 (49), 12994-12999. *contributed equally. doi:10.1073/pnas.1705165114. JIF2021=12,77. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29150554/
Kobold* S, Grassmann* S, Chaloupka M, Lampert C, Wenk S, Kraus F, Rapp M, Duewell P, Zeng Y, Schmollinger J, Schnurr M, Endres S#, Rothenfußer S#. (2015). Impact of a new fusion receptor on PD-1-mediated immunosuppression in adoptive T cell therapy. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 107. *contributed equally to this study, # share senior authorship. JIF2021=11,81. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26105028
Kobold S, Steffen J, Chaloupka M, Grassmann S, Henkel J, Castoldi R, Zeng Y, Chmielewski M, Schmollinger J, Schnurr M, Rothenfußer S, Schendel DJ, Abken H, Sustmann C, Niederfellner CG, Klein C, Bourquin C, Endres S. (2014). Selective bispecific T cell recruiting antibody enhances anti-tumor activity of adoptive T cell transfer. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 107:364. JIF2021=11,81. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25424197/
Kobold S, Völk S, Clauditz T, Küpper NJ, Minner S, Tufmann A, Düwell P, Lindner M, Koch I, Heidegger S, Merk M, Rothenfußer S, Schnurr M, Huber RM, Sauter G, Wilczak W, Endres S. (2013). Interleukin-22 is frequently expressed in small-and large- cell lung cancer and promotes growth in chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells. Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 8:1032-1042. JIF2021=20,12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23774470/
All Publications
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Application
We welcome unsolicited applications at all levels: for doctoral students of medicine and natural sciences, research assistant, technician and post-doctoral researcher. Please send your motivation letter, along with your CV and the contact of two references to:
cijgcblgu oüjüämvimsfulGvfiuyziu miPromotionssprechstunde
Die Promotionssprechstunde findet jede Woche Montags zwischen 10 und 11 Uhr statt. Wir bitten um vorheriger Anmeldung unter:
cijgc;blgu oüjüämvimsful_vfd:iuyziuemiUniv.-Prof. Dr. med. Sebastian Kobold bietet Studierenden der Medizin und Naturwissenschaftlicher Fächer eine persönliche Beratung rund um Fragen der Promotion zum Dr. med., Dr. hum. biol, Dr. rer. nat. oder PhD, insbesondere an der medizinischen Fakultät der LMU an. Ziel ist es über Chancen und Hürden der Promotion im Bezug auf die persönliche Situation zu informieren und zur Orientierung zu verhelfen.