SFB1399: Prof. Dr. med. Ugur Sahin

Academic education

1992 - 1994: Mathematics course, FernUniversität Hagen, Hagen
1991 - 1992: Internship in Internal Medicine, Hematology-Oncology & AIDS Center, University of Cologne and University of Homburg/Saar, Homburg
1987 - 1990: Doctoral thesis, Clinic I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne (Supervisor Michael Pfreundschuh) Bispezifische monoklonale Antikörper zur Aktivierung von Zytostatikavorstufen an Tumorzellen
1984 - 1990: Medical studies, University of Cologne, Cologne

Scientific degrees

1999: Habilitation in Molecular Medicine and Immunology at the University of Homburg/Saar, Homburg
1992: Promotion (Summa cum laude)

Scientific career

2018 - present: Co-founder and Scientific Chair of Managing Board, Helmholtz Institute TRON (HI-TRON), Mainz
2017 - present: Deputy Chairman, University Cancer Center (UCT), Mainz
2012 - present: Co-founder, CI3 Cluster of Individualized Immune Intervention
2010 - 2019: Scientific Director, TRON gGmbH
2010 - present: Co-founder, TRON gGmbH
2009 - present: Founding CEO, BioNTech AG, Mainz
2006 - 2013: W2 Associate Professor, Division of Experimental and Translational Oncology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz
2003 - 2015: Head, Tumor Vaccine Center, III. Dept. of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz
2001: Co-founder, Ganymed Pharmaceuticals AG, Mainz
2001 - 2008: Junior Research Group Leader, Collaborative Research Center SFB 432, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz
2000 - 2001: Visiting Scientist, Department for Experimental Immunology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (Rolf Zinkernagel & Hans Hengartner)
1992 - 2000: Resident in Internal Medicine, Dept. Hematology-Oncology at the University of Homburg/Saar, Homburg

Honors/ Awards/ Memberships

2019: Deutscher Krebspreis 2019
2018: 2017 ERC Advanced Grant in Life Sciences
2015 - present: American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
2014 - present: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
2012: BMBF Spitzencluster Award for TRON projects as part of CI3-Regional Cluster for Individualized Immune Intervention
2012 - 2017: Co-founder, CI3 Cluster of Individualized Immunointervention
201:1 STEP Award
2008 - present: Program Committee, Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT) Regulatory Research Group, Mainz, Germany
2006 & 2010: GoBio Award of the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
2005: Georges Köhler-Prize of the German Association of Immunology
2004 - present: German Society for Immunology (DGfI)
1997: Calogero-Paglierello-Research-Award
1995: Merit Award of the American Society of Oncology (ASCO)
1995: Vincenz Czerny Prize of the German Association of Hemato-Oncology (DGHO)

10 most relevant publications

Sahin U, Türeci Ö. Personalized vaccines for cancer immunotherapy. Science. (2018) 359: 1355–1360. DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7112.
Sahin U, Derhovanessian E, Miller M, Kloke B-P, Simon P, Löwer M, Bukur V, Tadmor AD, Luxemburger U, Schrörs B, Omokoko T, Vormehr M, Albrecht C, Paruzynski A, Kuhn AN, Buck J, Heesch S, Schreeb KH, Müller F, Ortseifer I, Vogler I, Godehardt E, Attig S, Rae R, Breitkreuz A, Tolliver C, Suchan M, Martic G, Hohberger A, Sorn P, Diekmann J, Ciesla J, Waksmann O, Kemmer-Brück A, Witt M, Zillgen M, Rothermel A, Kasemann B, Langer D, Bolte S, Diken M, Kreiter S, Nemecek R, Gebhardt C, Grabbe S, Höller C, Utikal J, Huber C, Loquai C, Türeci Ö. Personalized RNA mutanome vaccines mobilize poly-specific therapeutic immunity against cancer. Nature. (2017) 547: 222–226. DOI: 10.1038/nature23003.
Stadler CR, Bähr-Mahmud H, Celik L, Hebich B, Roth AS, Roth RP, Karikó K, Türeci Ö, Sahin U. Elimination of large tumors in mice by mRNA-encoded bispecific antibodies. Nat Med. (2017) DOI: 10.1038/nm.4356.
Kranz LM, Diken M, Haas H, Kreiter S, Loquai C, Reuter KC, Meng M, Fritz D, Vascotto F, Hefesha H, Grunwitz C, Vormehr M, Hüsemann Y, Selmi A, Kuhn AN, Buck J, Derhovanessian E, Rae R, Attig S, Diekmann J, Jabulowsky RA, Heesch S, Hassel J, Langguth P, Grabbe S, Huber C, Türeci Ö, Sahin U. Systemic RNA delivery to dendritic cells exploits antiviral defence for cancer immunotherapy. Nature. (2016) 534: 396–401. DOI: 10.1038/nature18300.
Kreiter S, Vormehr M, van de Roemer N, Diken M, Löwer M, Diekmann J, Boegel S, Schrörs B, Vascotto F, Castle JC, Tadmor AD, Schoenberger SP, Huber C, Türeci Ö, Sahin U. Mutant MHC class II epitopes drive therapeutic immune responses to cancer. Nature. (2015) 520: 692–696. DOI: 10.1038/nature14426.
Schumacher T, Bunse L, Pusch S, Sahm F, Wiestler B, Quandt J, Menn O, Osswald M, Oezen I, Ott M, Keil M, Balß J, Rauschenbach K, Grabowska AK, Vogler I, Diekmann J, Trautwein N, Eichmüller SB, Okun J, Stevanović S, Riemer AB, Sahin U, Friese MA, Beckhove P, von Deimling A, Wick W, Platten M. A vaccine targeting mutant IDH1 induces antitumour immunity. Nature. (2014) 512: 324–327. DOI: 10.1038/nature13387.
Britten CM, Singh-Jasuja H, Flamion B, Hoos A, Huber C, Kallen K-J, Khleif SN, Kreiter S, Nielsen M, Rammensee H-G, Sahin U, Hinz T, Kalinke U. The regulatory landscape for actively personalized cancer immunotherapies. Nat Biotechnol. (2013) 31: 880–882. DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2708.
Castle JC, Kreiter S, Diekmann J, Löwer M, van de Roemer N, de Graaf J, Selmi A, Diken M, Boegel S, Paret C, Koslowski M, Kuhn AN, Britten CM, Huber C, Türeci O, Sahin U. Exploiting the mutanome for tumor vaccination. Cancer Res. (2012) 72:1081-91. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-3722.
Diken M, Kreiter S, Selmi A, Britten CM, Huber C, Türeci Ö, Sahin U. Selective uptake of naked vaccine RNA by dendritic cells is driven by macropinocytosis and abrogated upon DC maturation. (2011) Gene Ther. 18:702-8. DOI: 10.1038/gt.2011.17. DOI: doi: 10.1038/gt.2011.17.
Kreiter S, Selmi A, Diken M, Sebastian M, Osterloh P, Schild H, Huber C, Türeci O, Sahin U. Increased antigen presentation efficiency by coupling antigens to MHC class I trafficking signals. J. Immunol. (2008) 180:309-18. DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.1.309.

Patents (selected patents, >100 pending and granted)

Sahin, U., Türeci, Ö., Kreiter, S., Holtkamp, S. “Modification of RNA, Producing an Increased Transport Stability and Translation Efficiency.” U.S. Patent No. 9,476,055. October 25, 2016.
Kuhn, A., Sahin, U., Darzynkiewicz, E., Jemielity, J., Kowalska, J. “Vaccine Composition Comprising 5'-cap Modified RNA.” European Patent No. 2 461 833. October 8, 2014. U.S. Patent No. 9,295,717. March 29, 2016.
Sahin, U., Haas, H., Diken, M., Kreiter, S., Kranz, L.M., Fritz, D., Meng, M., Reuter, K. “RNA Formulation for Immunotherapy.” U.S. Patent Application No. 14/388,192. September 25, 2014.
Sahin, U., Kreiter, S., Diken, M., Diekmann, J., Koslowski, M., Britten, C., Castle, J., Löwer, M., Renard, B., Omokoko, T., Hendrikus De Graaf, J. “Individualized Vaccines for Cancer.” European Patent Application No. EP 13 796 006.8. November 26, 2013. U.S. Patent Application No. US 14/647,577. November 26, 2013.
Tadmor, A., Sahin, U., Castle, J., Boegel, S., Löwer, M. “Immunogenicity Prediction of T cell Epitope.” U.S. Patent Application No. 14/787,110. May 7, 2014.

CV

Prof. Dr. med. Ugur Sahin