@article{ChopraBiehlSteinfattetal.2016,
  author    = {Chopra, Martin and Biehl, Marlene and Steinfatt, Tim and Brandl, Andreas and Kums, Juliane and Amich, Jorge and Vaeth, Martin and Kuen, Janina and Holtappels, Rafaela and Podlech, J{\"u}rgen and Mottok, Anja and Kraus, Sabrina and Jord{\´a}n-Garotte, Ana-Laura and B{\"a}uerlein, Carina A. and Brede, Christian and Ribechini, Eliana and Fick, Andrea and Seher, Axel and Polz, Johannes and Ottmueller, Katja J. and Baker, Jeannette and Nishikii, Hidekazu and Ritz, Miriam and Mattenheimer, Katharina and Schwinn, Stefanie and Winter, Thorsten and Sch{\"a}fer, Viktoria and Krappmann, Sven and Einsele, Hermann and M{\"u}ller, Thomas D. and Reddehase, Matthias J. and Lutz, Manfred B. and M{\"a}nnel, Daniela N. and Berberich-Siebelt, Friederike and Wajant, Harald and Beilhack, Andreas},
  title     = {Exogenous TNFR2 activation protects from acute GvHD via host T reg cell expansion},
  series = {Journal of Experimental Medicine},
  volume    = {213},
  journal   = {Journal of Experimental Medicine},
  number    = {9},
  doi       = {10.1084/jem.20151563},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187640},
  pages     = {1881-1900},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Donor CD4\(^+\)Foxp3\(^+\) regulatory T cells (T reg cells) suppress graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT allo-HCT]). Current clinical study protocols rely on the ex vivo expansion of donor T reg cells and their infusion in high numbers. In this study, we present a novel strategy for inhibiting GvHD that is based on the in vivo expansion of recipient T reg cells before allo-HCT, exploiting the crucial role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) in T reg cell biology. Expanding radiation-resistant host T reg cells in recipient mice using a mouse TNFR2-selective agonist before allo-HCT significantly prolonged survival and reduced GvHD severity in a TNFR2-and T reg cell-dependent manner. The beneficial effects of transplanted T cells against leukemia cells and infectious pathogens remained unaffected. A corresponding human TNFR2-specific agonist expanded human T reg cells in vitro. These observations indicate the potential of our strategy to protect allo-HCT patients from acute GvHD by expanding T reg cells via selective TNFR2 activation in vivo.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DotterweichTowerBrandletal.2016,
  author    = {Dotterweich, Julia and Tower, Robert J. and Brandl, Andreas and M{\"u}ller, Marc and Hofbauer, Lorenz C. and Beilhack, Andreas and Ebert, Regina and Gl{\"u}er, Claus C. and Tiwari, Sanjay and Sch{\"u}tze, Norbert and Jakob, Franz},
  title     = {The KISS1 Receptor as an In Vivo Microenvironment Imaging Biomarker of Multiple Myeloma Bone Disease},
  series = {PLoS One},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  number    = {5},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0155087},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146960},
  pages     = {e0155087},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Multiple myeloma is one of the most common hematological diseases and is characterized by an aberrant proliferation of plasma cells within the bone marrow. As a result of crosstalk between cancer cells and the bone microenvironment, bone homeostasis is disrupted leading to osteolytic lesions and poor prognosis. Current diagnostic strategies for myeloma typically rely on detection of excess monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains in the urine or serum. However, these strategies fail to localize the sites of malignancies. In this study we sought to identify novel biomarkers of myeloma bone disease which could target the malignant cells and/or the surrounding cells of the tumor microenvironment. From these studies, the KISS1 receptor (KISS1R), a G-protein-coupled receptor known to play a role in the regulation of endocrine functions, was identified as a target gene that was upregulated on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteoprogenitor cells (OPCs) when co-cultured with myeloma cells. To determine the potential of this receptor as a biomarker, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed with the KISS1R ligand, kisspeptin, conjugated with a fluorescent dye. In vitro microscopy showed binding of fluorescently-labeled kisspeptin to both myeloma cells as well as MSCs under direct co-culture conditions. Next, conjugated kisspeptin was injected into immune-competent mice containing myeloma bone lesions. Tumor-burdened limbs showed increased peak fluorescence compared to contralateral controls. These data suggest the utility of the KISS1R as a novel biomarker for multiple myeloma, capable of targeting both tumor cells and host cells of the tumor microenvironment.},
  language  = {en}
}