PD Dr. med. Gabriela Wiedemann (PI)
Julia Baumgarten (cand. med.)
Karyna Pistrenko, B.Sc.
Julia Poller (Ärztin)
Robin Schenk, M.Sc. (PhD student)
Kevin Schmid, M.Sc. (PhD student)
Yifan Zang, M.Sc. (PhD student)

Natural Killer cells (NK cells) are key effector cells of the innate immune systems. Due to their rapid cytotoxicity and efficient tumor cell clearing they have been a central player in tumor immunology research in the past years. However, cancer cells have developped a plethora of mechanisms to suppress NK cell functionality both locally and systemically.

Our group investigates the interactions of NK cells and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in gastrointestinal cancers. Especially, we want to unravel the impact of the tumor milieu on the NK cell transcriptional and epigenetic landscape in order to develop efficient NK cell based tumor therapies.

Wiedemann Lab is part of the Division of Translational Gastrointestinal Immunology.

> Pubmed

Selected publications

• Schmid K, Haimerl C, Stark J, Mueller E, Merz L, Schenk R, Pistrenko K, Baumgarten J, Berberich K, Bauer U, Ehmer U, Laschinger M, Hueser N, Hartmann D, Boettcher JP, Schmid RM & Wiedemann GM. Prolonged TGF-β locks NK cells in a dysfunctional state through persistent epigenetic remodeling of IRF, T-bet and EOMES binding sites. bioRxiv (2026). https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.11.705354
• Schmid K, Schenk RP, Wiedemann GM. Low-Input Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin Identifies Epigenetic Signatures of Liver Group 1 Innate Lymphoid Cells. European Journal of Immunology (2025). https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.70066
• Deschler S, Pohl-Topcu J, Ramsauer L, Meiser P, Erlacher S, Schenk RP, Maurer HC, Shen P, Kager J, Zink J, Pistrenko K, Redondo Monte E, Weber J Laschinger M, Hüser N, Geisler F, Thorburn D, Nieß H, Wiedemann GM, Zischka H, Heikenwälder M, Kleigrewe K, Mogler C, Böttcher JP, Knolle PA, Schmid RM, Böttcher K. Polyunsaturated fatty acid-induced metabolic exhaustion and ferroptosis impair MAIT cell anti-tumour function in MASLD. Journal of Hepatology (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2025.06.006
• Pedde A-M, Kim H, Donakonda S, Baumann T, Bayerl F, Meiser P, Hirschberger A, Klement C, Grassmann S, Öllinger R, Hüser N, Hartmann D, Laschinger M, Trapani JA, Zippelius A, Bald T, Wiedemann GM, Rad R, Sun JC, Höchst B & Böttcher JP.Tissue-colonizing disseminated tumor cells secrete prostaglandin E2 to promote NK cell dysfunction and evade anti-metastatic immunity. Cell Reports (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114855
• Lau CM, Wiedemann GM, Sun JC. Epigenetic regulation of natural killer cell memory. Invited Review. Immunological Reviews (2021); 305: 90-110. https://doi.org/10.1111/imr.13031
• Wiedemann GM, Santosa E, Grassman S, Sheppard S, Le Luduec JB, Adams NM, Dang C, Hsu KC, Sun JC, Lau CM. Deconvoluting global cytokine signaling networks in natural killer cells. Nature Immunology (2021); 22: 627-638. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-021-00909-1
• Wiedemann GM, Grassmann S, Lau CM, Rapp M, Villarino AV, Friedrich C, Gasteiger G, O’Shea JJ, Sun JC. Divergent Role for STAT5 in the Adaptive Responses of Natural Killer Cells. Cell Reports (2020); 33: 108498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108498
• Wiedemann GM, Geary CD, Lau CM, Sun JC. Cutting Edge: STAT1-Mediated Epigenetic Control of Rsad2 Promotes Clonal Expansion of Antiviral NK Cells. Journal of Immunology (2020); 205: 21-25. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.2000086
• Wiedemann GM, Röhrle N, Makeschin MC, Fesseler J, Endres S, Mayr D, Anz D. Peritumoral CCL1 and CCL22 expressing cells in hepatocellular carcinomas shape the tumor immune infiltrate. Pathology (2019); 51: 586-592. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.2000086
• Wiedemann GM, Jacobi SJ, Chaloupka M, Krächan A, Hamm S, Strobl S, Baumgartner R, Rothenfusser S, Duewell P, Endres S, Kobold S. A novel TLR7 agonist reverses NK cell anergy and cures RMA-S lymphoma-bearing mice. Oncoimmunology (2016); 5: e1189051. https://doi.org/10.1080/2162402X.2016.1189051

Thesis projects

If you are interested in an MD or PhD thesis in our group please send your application via e-mail. 
 

Grant support

• Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung
• Kommission für Klinische Forschung (KKF)
• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, Emmy Noether Programm WI 4927/2-1)
• TUM Seed Fund