Florian receives the prestigeous ERC Starting Grant
We are excited to announce that Florian has received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant of 1.5 million euros for his project, Organoid- and AI-based Identification of Oncology Drug-Vaccine Interactions (OrAIOn). Over the next five years, this project aims to enhance infection prevention for cancer patients by exploring how cancer medications impact vaccine effectiveness.
Cancer patients are particularly vulnerable to infections, often receiving limited protection from vaccines due to the immunosuppressive effects of cancer treatments. The Systems Immunology Lab is using two novel approaches to address this challenge:
Tonsil Organoid Models – By using a groundbreaking tonsil organoid model that replicates the body’s vaccine response, the OrAIOn team will systematically analyze how a wide range of cancer drugs influence vaccine efficacy. These organoids mimic processes within the lymph nodes, central to the immune system, enabling a detailed understanding of drug-vaccine interactions.
Virtual Lymph Node Powered by AI – The project will also develop an advanced AI-based “Virtual Lymph Node” to predict vaccine responses and identify interactions between cancer drugs and vaccines. This virtual model is based on large-scale single-cell RNA-seq data and allows the team to explore these interactions on a scale previously unattainable through laboratory testing alone, accelerating the development of personalized vaccine recommendations.
The OrAIOn project logo
At the end of the project, the OrAIOn team will publish its findings in a comprehensive database, supporting more precise vaccine recommendations for cancer patients and contributing to the creation of more effective vaccines for the general population.
For more details, read the full announcement on the university’s website here.