Dr. rer. nat. Toszka Bohn

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General Information

E-mail

 bohnt@uni-mainz.de

Current position

Junior Group Leader

 

Research Interests

In our research projects, we investigate strategies by which tumors can escape recognition by the immune system, so-called immune evasion mechanisms. In addition to tumor cells, the microenvironment of solid tumors includes various immune cell populations. Depending on the tumor entity, tumor-associated macrophages represent one of the most tumor infiltrating immune cell populations and contribute significantly to tumor progression and formation of metastases.

In our previous work, we were able to identify a so far unknown immune evasion mechanism that plays an essential role especially in tumors which are characterized by a highly acidic microenvironment, such as malignant melanomas. 

In preclinical mouse models we could show that the intratumoral acidic pH is sensed by different immune cells through specific pH-sensitive G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Here, tumor-associated macrophages in particular express the pH-sensitive GPCR65, ultimately leading to a GPCR65-dependent polarization of TAM towards a phenotype that promotes tumor growth and disease progression. 

Therefore, tumor-associated macrophages, GPCR65, and the acidic pH of the microenvironment represent attractive new targets for the development of immunotherapeutic approaches in cancer treatment. Thus, we are currently working on following research projects:

  1. Analysis of the GPCR65-dependent immune evasion mechanism of malignant melanomas and GPCR65 as a therapeutic target.
  2. Modulation of the intratumoral pH as a therapeutic approach.This project is part of the Collaborative Research Center 1066 "Nanodimensional polymer therapeutics for tumor therapy" (Homepage SFB1066).
  3. Repolarization of tumor-associated macrophages and its impact on T cell-based immunotherapies.

Academic Education

2006-2012

  • Studies in Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Diploma

2017

  • PhD in Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Prof. Dr. T. Bopp

Professional Career

since 2021

  • Junior Group Leader, Institute for Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

2017 - 2021

  • PostDoc, Institute for Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

2012 - 2017

  • PhD Student, Institute for Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

Honours and other activities

Member of "Deutschen Gesellschaft für Immunologie (DGfl)" 

2022 Young Scientist Award in Chemistry, Akademie der Wissenschaften und Literatur Mainz

Selected Publications

  1. Johann K*, Bohn T*, Shahneh F*, Luther N, Birke A, Jaurich H, Helm M, Klein M, Raker V, Bopp T, Barz M, Becker C (2021) Therapeutic melanoma inhibition by local micelle-mediated cyclic nucleotide repression. Nature Communications. Oct 13;12(1):5981. *authors contributed equally
  2. Bohn T, Rapp S, Luther N, Klein M, Bruehl TJ, Kojima N, Aranda Lopez P, Hahlbrock J, Muth S, Endo S, Pektor S, Brand A, Renner K, Popp V, Gerlach K, Vogel D, Lueckel C, Arnold-Schild D, Pouyssegur J, Kreutz M, Huber M, Koenig J, Weigmann B, Probst HC, von Stebut E, Becker C, Schild H, Schmitt E, and Bopp T. (2018) Tumor immunoevasion via acidosis dependent induction of regulatory tumor-associated macrophages. Nature Immunology 19(12):1319-1329.
  3. Sielaff M, Kuharev J, Bohn T, Hahlbrock J, Bopp T, Tenzer S, Distler U. Evaluation of FASP, SP3, and iST Protocols for Proteomic Sample Preparation in the Low Microgram range. (2017) Journal of Proteome Research 16: 4060-4072.
  4. Renner K, Bruss C, Schnell A, Koehl G, Becker HM, Fante M, Menevse AN, Kauer N, Blazquez R, Hacker L, Decking SM, Bohn T, Faerber S, Evert K, Aigle L, Amslinger S, Landa M, Krijsman O, Rozeman E, Brummer C, Siska P, Singer K, Pektor S, Miederer M, Peter K, Gottfried E, Herr W, Marchiq I, Pouyssegur J, Roush W, Ong S, Warren S, Pukrop T, Beckhove P, Lang S, Bopp T, Blank C, Cleveland J, Oefner P, Dettmer K, Selby M, Kreutz M. Restricting Glycolysis Preserves T Cell Effector Functions and Augments Checkpoint Therapy. (2019) Cell Reports 29(1): 135-150.
  5. Ulges A, Witsch EJ, Pramanik G, Klein M, Birkner K, Bühler U, Wasser B, Luessi F, Stergiou N, Dietzen S, Brühl TJ, Bohn T, Bündgen G, Kunz H, Waisman A, Schild H, Schmitt E, Zipp F, Bopp T (2016). Protein kinase CK2 governs the molecular decision between encephalitogenic TH17 cell and Treg cell development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 113: 10145-50.
  6. Ulges A, Klein M, Reuter S, Gerlitzki B, Hoffmann M, Grebe N, Staudt V, Stergiou N, Bohn T, Brühl T-J, Muth S, Yurugi H, Rajalingam K, Bellinghausen I, Tuettenberg A, Hahn S, Reißig S, Haben I, Zipp F, Waisman A, Probst HC, Beilhack A, Buchou T, Filhol-Cochet O, Boldyreff B, Breloer M, Jonuleit H, Schild H, Schmitt E, Bopp T (2015) Protein kinase CK2 enables regulatory T cells to suppress excessive TH2 responses in vivo. Nat. Immunol. 16: 267-275
  7. Klein M, Brühl TJ, Staudt V, Reuter S, Grebe N, Gerlitzki B, Hoffmann M, Bohn T, Ulges A, Stergiou N, de Graaf J, Löwer M, Taube C, Becker M, Hain T, Dietzen S, Stassen M, Huber M, Lohoff M, Campos Chagas A, Andersen J, Kotál J, Langhansová H, Kopecky J, Schild H, Kotsyfakis M, Schmitt E, Bopp T. Tick Salivary Sialostatin L represses the initiation of immune responses by targeting IRF4-dependent transcription in murine mast cells. (2015) The Journal of Immunology, 195(2): 621-631.
  8. Sabbaghi F, Ullner L, Bohn T, Hahlbrock J, Bopp T, Schmitt E, Klein M, Stassen M. In activated murine mast cells, NFATc2 is critical for the production of autocrine IL-3 thereby promoting the expression of IL-9. (2020) The Journal of Immunology. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1900310

Institute of Immunology

University Medical Center Mainz
Bldg. 308A, 2nd/3rd floor
Langenbeckstr. 1
55131 Mainz
Tel +49 (0)6131-17 6198
Fax +49 (0)6131-17 6202