Clinical Translation Programs
Strategic Core of FCI

Multidisciplinary teams consisting of clinicians, tumor biologists, biochemists, chemists and bioinformaticians work together in these interdisciplinary research projects. The teams rely on the technology platforms provided by the five research areas.

P1
Proteomics & Functional Genomics

The goal of Technology Platform 1 is to find individual parameters that can improve the diagnosis of tumors or better predict the response to therapy. For example, the composition of all proteins in a cell can be qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by means of mass spectrometry. The measured profile (“proteome”) contains unique information – similar to a fingerprint – and by comparing tumor cells with healthy cells of the same patient, new prognostic and diagnostic criteria can be identified.

P2
Immuno-Oncology

Technology platform 2 Immuno-Oncology uses the innovative cell type-specific gene transfer technologies available at FCI to develop new immunotherapeutic concepts. These include the genetic modification of T lymphocytes or natural killer cells (NKs) with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) as well as the precise transfer of immunomodulatory agents into tumor tissue. This is complemented by the Immunomonitoring Platform.

P3
Tumor Models

The aim of Technology Platform 3 Tumor Models is to develop new tumor models that can be used to better predict the clinical success of a compound identified in basic research in patients. This platform represents the essential link for the transfer of new therapeutic strategies into the clinic.

P4
Drug Development

The goal of the Technology Platform 4 is to develop new therapeutic approaches and to advance them to the development of new drugs. The extensive chemical, pharmaceutical and structural biology expertise at Goethe University in Frankfurt makes it possible to develop and optimize new drug candidates against validated target structures; innovative biologicals and cell therapeutics are developed at Georg-Speyer-Haus and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.

P5
Clinical Translation & Biobank

The integration of clinical trials into the FCI is essential as an endpoint for drug development and a starting point for the investigation of response and resistance mechanisms. The goal is to initiate such studies in close collaboration with the University Center for Tumor Diseases (UCT). The UCT Frankfurt has continuously worked on the expansion of a comprehensive clinical research unit, which will be fully available to the FCI. This ensures the practical implementation of early translational studies at the FCI site.

Discovery & Development

The primary objective of this program is to address excellent hypotheses on basic biological mechanisms of tumorigenesis, progression, diagnosis, and therapy.