Lothar Seidler

Lothar Seidler investigated the therapeutic targeting of pancreatic stellate cell-derived CAFs through FAP (fibroblast activation protein) targeting strategies, demonstrating that FAP-directed immunotoxins and FAP-targeted CAR-T cells can selectively deplete tumor-promoting CAF subsets while sparing quiescent stellate cells and tumor-restraining CAF populations. His work on the desmoplastic stroma of pancreatic cancer showed that partial CAF depletion paradoxically enhances gemcitabine delivery and immune cell infiltration, while complete depletion accelerates tumor progression. He develops precision CAF-targeting approaches using bispecific antibodies recognizing FAP in combination with subtype-specific CAF markers.