Andrea Ablasser

Andrea Ablasser co-discovered the cGAS (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase) enzyme and characterized its role as the primary sensor of cytosolic DNA that activates the STING pathway. Her research established that cGAS produces the second messenger cGAMP, which binds and activates STING to trigger type I interferon responses and innate immune activation. She has advanced understanding of how the cGAS-STING axis detects micronuclei and cytoplasmic chromatin fragments from cancer cells and damaged cells. Her foundational discoveries directly enabled the development of STING agonists as cancer immunotherapy agents.