Judith Wienke

Within the Molenaar group I supervise the ongoing work on tumor immunology & immunotherapies. We use high-throughput analyses (including single-cell RNA sequencing, mass spectrometry and high-parameter flow cytometry) and subsequent in vitro validation to identify and validate novel targets for immunotherapeutic interventions in neuroblastoma. We use in vitro co-culture systems with tumor cell lines and organoids and will also start in vivo work in the coming years. Target identification is aimed at both undermining tumor immune evasion and increasing the anti-tumor efficacy of immune cells. Subsequently, we develop and investigate innovative (combinations of) immunotherapeutic interventions, incorporating these targets, for clinical applicability. Having already defined several targets for immunotherapy, we are now developing novel CAR-T cell strategies and TIL strategies. Ultimately, effective interventions will be introduced into the clinical trial phase, with the goal of introducing novel treatment options for patients with neuroblastoma.