Dr. Oskar Staufer, head of the Emmy Noether Research Group “Immuno-Materials” at INM, has been awarded the Alois Lauer Research Prize for Medicine. The award is endowed with prize money of 8,000 euros.
The prize recognizes his work entitled “Solution structure and synaptic analyses reveal determinants of bispecific T cell engager potency.” In this study, Oskar Staufer investigates which structural properties antibodies must possess to be particularly well-suited for the development of bispecific T-cell antibodies—one of the most promising approaches in modern immunotherapy. For the first time, artificial cell systems were used: precisely controllable replicas of natural cells that enable targeted analysis of complex biological interactions. The results open up new perspectives for the development of even more efficient antibodies.
Since 1993, the Alois Lauer Foundation has supported medical research projects in the Saarland region and, since 2000, has awarded the Alois Lauer Research Prize for Medicine to outstanding early-career scientists.