Targeting plexin signalling and its role in immune modulation

Principal investigator: Maria Florencia Sánchez
Project number: CRC 1450 B07
Project term: 01/2025–12/2028

Integrative approaches to decipher context-dependent plexin signaling. The mechanisms by which plexins affect tumor progression will be explored in organoids and 3D tumor models embedded in 3D scaffolds mimicking the extracellular matrix.
© CRC inSight B07

We aim to develop innovative approaches to investigate the membrane organization, activation, and signalling mechanism of undervalued key molecules in innate immunity, semaphorin ligands and plexin receptors. Within this CRC, my group will use advanced multiscale imaging to spatiotemporally investigate how semaphorins modulate cancer cell migration processes in 2D and 3D environments. Cell-cell interactions for a diverse set of immune cells, interacting with cancerous cells will provide novel insights into the role of these molecules in immune modulation.

Team

Principal investigator

Publications

The names of the principal investigators in our network have been bolded. Publications released prior to 2025, when funding for the project commenced, represent previous project-related work.

2024

Sánchez MF, Faria S, Frühschulz S, Werkmann L, Winter C, Karimian T, Lanzerstorfer P, Plochberger B, Weghuber J, Tampé R. Engineering Mesoscale T Cell Receptor Clustering by Plug-and-Play Nanotools. Adv Mater 2024;36: e2310407. Abstract

2023

Sánchez MF, Tampé R. Ligand-independent receptor clustering modulates transmembrane signaling: a new paradigm. Trends Biochem Sci 2023;48: 156-171. Abstract

2022

Sánchez MF, Dietz MS, Müller U, Weghuber J, Gatterdam K, Wieneke R, Heilemann M, Lanzerstorfer P, Tampé R. Dynamic in Situ Confinement Triggers Ligand-Free Neuropeptide Receptor Signaling. Nano Lett 2022;22: 8363-8371. Abstract

2021

Sánchez MF, Els-Heindl S, Beck-Sickinger AG, Wieneke R, Tampé R. Photoinduced receptor confinement drives ligand-independent GPCR signaling. Science 2021;371Abstract

2018

Sánchez MF, Murad F, Gülcüler Balta GS, Martin-Villalba A, García-Sáez AJ, Carrer DC. Early activation of CD95 is limited and localized to the cytotoxic synapse. Febs J 2018;285: 2813-2827. Abstract

2015

Sánchez MF, Dodes Traian MM, Levi V, Carrer DC. One-Photon Lithography for High-Quality Lipid Bilayer Micropatterns. Langmuir 2015;31: 11943-11950. Abstract
Sánchez MF, Levi V, Weidemann T, Carrer DC. Agonist mobility on supported lipid bilayers affects Fas mediated death response. FEBS Lett 2015;589: 3527-3533. Abstract