Tim F. Greten, MD

Senior Investigator
Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch

Our main interest is to better understand how the tumor microenvironment in the liver controls immune responses in hepatobiliary cancers and liver metastasis. We use this knowledge to develop novel treatments, which enhance anti-tumor immunity and patients’ outcome. My research program is divided into 3 closely interconnected projects, which primarily focus on tumor-immune cell interactions in the liver, fatty liver disease and how the gut microbiome and the gut- liver axis affect anti-tumor immunity in the liver. Using complex in vivo animal models, we study how non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compromises anti-tumor responses in the liver. We are currently evaluating why anti-PD1 treatment is not effective in mice with NAFLD. Building on earlier studies demonstrating that fatty liver affects CD4 T cell responses we made the unexpected observation that in the context of NAFLD platelets contribute to anti-tumor immunity through a P2Y12- CD40L dependent mechanism. We are currently examining the underlying immunological mechanism. Another interest of the lab is to better understand how the gut microbiome affects anti-tumor immunity in the liver and organ specific immunotherapy approaches against liver cancer. We utilize state of art techniques including single cell RNA sequence analysis, in vivo imaging, multiplex IHC and highly complex transgenic animal models. For more details please visit my website or send me an e-mail.

Suggested Penn mentors: Carl June, Chengcheng Jin, Christoph Thaiss, Gary Wu