Mevalonate metabolism spurs cancer immune surveillance: the competence of the γδ T cell task force

Biosketch Martin Turnher

1982-1988 Studies in Biology and Microbiology, University of Innsbruck
1988 Diploma in Biochemistry: Prof. Manfred Schwaiger
1982-1988 Ph.D. thesis at the Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich: Prof. Eric Berger
1992-1993 Posdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich
1993-1997 Research Associate, Dep. Of Urology, University of Innsbruck: Set up of the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit
1997 Appointment as an Associate Professor for Immunobiology
2002-2009 kompetenzzentrum medizin tirol (kmt)
2009-2016 Oncotyrol, center for personalized cancer medicine The mevalonate pathway is best known for the biosynthesis of cholesterol. It has been the seminal work of Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein, awarded by the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in
1985, which represented the foundation for further intense investigation of mevalonate metabolism. Although immunometabolism has become a distinct category of immunological research in the past few years, mevalonate metabolism still receives little attention. The purpose of this seminar is to first provide a general overview of mevalonate metabolism in immune cells and then to highlight ways of the immune system to respond to mevalonate pathway dysregulation.


Selected publications
• Gruenbacher G, Gander H, Rahm A, Idzko M, Nussbaumer O, Thurnher M: Ecto-ATPase CD39 Inactivates Isoprenoid-Derived Vγ9Vδ2 T Cell Phosphoantigens, Cell Rep, 12;16(2):444-56, 2016
• Thurnher M, Gruenbacher G: T lymphocyte regulation by mevalonate metabolism. Sci Signal, 31;8(370):re4, 2015
• Gruenbacher G, Nussbaumer O, Gander H, Steiner B, Leonhartsberger N,