On November 21, 2025, the German Research Foundation announced that it will support the Collaborative Research Center 1479 “Oncogen-driven immune escape – OncoEscape” at the University of Freiburg for another three and a half years. The focus is on investigating how tumor cells escape the immune system and how these mechanisms can be interrupted in order to develop innovative and sustainable cancer therapies. Research groups from the University Medical Center Freiburg, the University of Freiburg, the M3 Research Center in Tübingen, the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and the Georg-Speyer Haus in Frankfurt are involved.

Over the past four years, the researchers have been able to demonstrate that certain cancer-causing mutations promote the escape of tumor cells from immune reactions. These findings led to new therapeutic approaches that are currently being clinically tested. The extension is considered recognition of this progress. Particular emphasis is placed on a new approach that uses the inhibition of oncogenic signal transduction to enhance immunotherapies and overcome therapy resistance.

The mechanism of so-called “immune escape” arises when overactive oncogenes or lost tumor suppressor genes alter signal transmission in cells, leading to tumor growth and genetic instability. As a result, tumor cells develop strategies to hide from the immune system or deactivate immune cells. The excellent infrastructure of the “Early Clinical Trial Unit” at the University Medical Center Freiburg enables the rapid implementation of these findings in clinical studies.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.