Dominic Denk
@domdenkmd.bsky.social
MD | physician-scientist | GI-oncology and immunology. Likes ducks.
Thanks for the interest in our study and reading it thoroughly.
Important to emphasize the limitations of the trial: proof-of-concept study and its design does not allow concluding efficacy. We are excited to now take this a step further and study this in cancer (in line with our preclinical data).
Important to emphasize the limitations of the trial: proof-of-concept study and its design does not allow concluding efficacy. We are excited to now take this a step further and study this in cancer (in line with our preclinical data).
November 3, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Thanks for the interest in our study and reading it thoroughly.
Important to emphasize the limitations of the trial: proof-of-concept study and its design does not allow concluding efficacy. We are excited to now take this a step further and study this in cancer (in line with our preclinical data).
Important to emphasize the limitations of the trial: proof-of-concept study and its design does not allow concluding efficacy. We are excited to now take this a step further and study this in cancer (in line with our preclinical data).
Thanks for highlighting our study!
October 31, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Thanks for highlighting our study!
This was a true team effort: @loewe-fci.bsky.social, @goetheuni.bsky.social, @ciml.bsky.social ( @rafajarguello.bsky.social ), @buckinstitute.org
Sponsor: Timeline.
Independent, investigator-initiated study.
Huge thanks to our volunteers.
Sponsor: Timeline.
Independent, investigator-initiated study.
Huge thanks to our volunteers.
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
This was a true team effort: @loewe-fci.bsky.social, @goetheuni.bsky.social, @ciml.bsky.social ( @rafajarguello.bsky.social ), @buckinstitute.org
Sponsor: Timeline.
Independent, investigator-initiated study.
Huge thanks to our volunteers.
Sponsor: Timeline.
Independent, investigator-initiated study.
Huge thanks to our volunteers.
This was the natural translation of our cancer work, where UA enhanced antitumor immunity in preclinical models.
www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
Our goal was always to bring our findings to humans and improve #immunotherapy. This study is the first critical step.
www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
Our goal was always to bring our findings to humans and improve #immunotherapy. This study is the first critical step.
Expansion of T memory stem cells with superior anti-tumor immunity by Urolithin A-induced mitophagy
Anti-tumor immunity is limited by reduced T cell persistence and antigen presentation.
Denk et al. show that Urolithin A, a natural metabolite of pomegranate extract, enhances
antigen presentation in ...
www.cell.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
This was the natural translation of our cancer work, where UA enhanced antitumor immunity in preclinical models.
www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
Our goal was always to bring our findings to humans and improve #immunotherapy. This study is the first critical step.
www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
Our goal was always to bring our findings to humans and improve #immunotherapy. This study is the first critical step.
We found that UA expands naïve CD8+ T cells in the blood - fresh soldiers that can respond to threats, such as infections and cancer. These are the cells that we lose the most during immune aging. We also observed changes across other immune readouts.
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
We found that UA expands naïve CD8+ T cells in the blood - fresh soldiers that can respond to threats, such as infections and cancer. These are the cells that we lose the most during immune aging. We also observed changes across other immune readouts.
In our study, 50 middle-aged adults received either UA or a placebo for 4 weeks. We aimed to assess if the immune system changes after UA intake. Neither our volunteers, nor us knew the assignment (double-blind, placebo-controlled study).
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
In our study, 50 middle-aged adults received either UA or a placebo for 4 weeks. We aimed to assess if the immune system changes after UA intake. Neither our volunteers, nor us knew the assignment (double-blind, placebo-controlled study).
UA triggers #mitophagy - a cellular clean-up that renews mitochondria. Healthier mitochondria are essential for T cell function.
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
UA triggers #mitophagy - a cellular clean-up that renews mitochondria. Healthier mitochondria are essential for T cell function.
As we age, #mitochondria (“the cells’ powerhouse”) decline, which contributes to immune aging.
We reasoned that targeting immune-cell mitochondria could slow immune aging (and aspects of aging more broadly).
We reasoned that targeting immune-cell mitochondria could slow immune aging (and aspects of aging more broadly).
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
As we age, #mitochondria (“the cells’ powerhouse”) decline, which contributes to immune aging.
We reasoned that targeting immune-cell mitochondria could slow immune aging (and aspects of aging more broadly).
We reasoned that targeting immune-cell mitochondria could slow immune aging (and aspects of aging more broadly).
This immune decline is not isolated. It fuels body-wide chronic inflammation ( #inflammaging ) contributing to muscle loss, heart disease & more.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Bottom line: Immune health is central to whole-body health.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Bottom line: Immune health is central to whole-body health.
T cells with dysfunctional mitochondria induce multimorbidity and premature senescence
Mitochondrial stress in immunological T cells induces the symptoms of systemic aging.
www.science.org
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
This immune decline is not isolated. It fuels body-wide chronic inflammation ( #inflammaging ) contributing to muscle loss, heart disease & more.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Bottom line: Immune health is central to whole-body health.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Bottom line: Immune health is central to whole-body health.
As the immune system ages, we face more infections, poorer vaccine responses, and higher cancer risk.
There are no drugs that directly halt or reverse this process.
There are no drugs that directly halt or reverse this process.
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
As the immune system ages, we face more infections, poorer vaccine responses, and higher cancer risk.
There are no drugs that directly halt or reverse this process.
There are no drugs that directly halt or reverse this process.
In our randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we find that Urolithin A expands naive CD8+ #Tcells and improved immune readouts.
georg-speyer-haus.de/en/newsroom/...
This is strikingly fast (1 month) and offers a direct path to targeting immune aging.
More background 🕵️👇
georg-speyer-haus.de/en/newsroom/...
This is strikingly fast (1 month) and offers a direct path to targeting immune aging.
More background 🕵️👇
Georg-Speyer-Haus: Clinical Translation: Pomegranate-derived Compound Reverses Key Signs of Immune Aging
georg-speyer-haus.de
October 31, 2025 at 11:41 AM
In our randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we find that Urolithin A expands naive CD8+ #Tcells and improved immune readouts.
georg-speyer-haus.de/en/newsroom/...
This is strikingly fast (1 month) and offers a direct path to targeting immune aging.
More background 🕵️👇
georg-speyer-haus.de/en/newsroom/...
This is strikingly fast (1 month) and offers a direct path to targeting immune aging.
More background 🕵️👇
Big thanks to my co-authors, our PI Prof. Florian Greten, and other amazing scientists whose work we were able to build on.
February 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Big thanks to my co-authors, our PI Prof. Florian Greten, and other amazing scientists whose work we were able to build on.
This was a great team effort!
Interrogating tumor cell biology, immunity and the mycobiome requires a team of experts that I was blessed to work with.
In addition, we were able to use our own patient-derived organoid biobank and publicly-available datasets.
Interrogating tumor cell biology, immunity and the mycobiome requires a team of experts that I was blessed to work with.
In addition, we were able to use our own patient-derived organoid biobank and publicly-available datasets.
February 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
This was a great team effort!
Interrogating tumor cell biology, immunity and the mycobiome requires a team of experts that I was blessed to work with.
In addition, we were able to use our own patient-derived organoid biobank and publicly-available datasets.
Interrogating tumor cell biology, immunity and the mycobiome requires a team of experts that I was blessed to work with.
In addition, we were able to use our own patient-derived organoid biobank and publicly-available datasets.
We show that pro-inflammatory signaling is NOT🚫 generally pro-tumorigenic in CRC.
By showing the effect of IL-17RA on epithelial cells AND immune cells our data proposes several lines of future research, including the potential development of therapies mimicking fungi-induced antitumor immunity.
By showing the effect of IL-17RA on epithelial cells AND immune cells our data proposes several lines of future research, including the potential development of therapies mimicking fungi-induced antitumor immunity.
February 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
We show that pro-inflammatory signaling is NOT🚫 generally pro-tumorigenic in CRC.
By showing the effect of IL-17RA on epithelial cells AND immune cells our data proposes several lines of future research, including the potential development of therapies mimicking fungi-induced antitumor immunity.
By showing the effect of IL-17RA on epithelial cells AND immune cells our data proposes several lines of future research, including the potential development of therapies mimicking fungi-induced antitumor immunity.
This means fungi can be protective to instigate an anti-tumor immunity⚡!
When we now use heat-killed Candida (a fungal species) and IL-17A (the signal that binds to IL-17RA) in combination in vivo, we can blunt tumor growth!
When we now use heat-killed Candida (a fungal species) and IL-17A (the signal that binds to IL-17RA) in combination in vivo, we can blunt tumor growth!
February 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
This means fungi can be protective to instigate an anti-tumor immunity⚡!
When we now use heat-killed Candida (a fungal species) and IL-17A (the signal that binds to IL-17RA) in combination in vivo, we can blunt tumor growth!
When we now use heat-killed Candida (a fungal species) and IL-17A (the signal that binds to IL-17RA) in combination in vivo, we can blunt tumor growth!
2)
On myeloid cells, IL-17RA expression is critical to augment Dectin-1 mediated sensing of #fungal populations. This results in inflammasome activation and IL-18 maturation.
So: Fungal populations🍄 induce CD8-mediated antitumor immunity, but this requires IL-17RA!
On myeloid cells, IL-17RA expression is critical to augment Dectin-1 mediated sensing of #fungal populations. This results in inflammasome activation and IL-18 maturation.
So: Fungal populations🍄 induce CD8-mediated antitumor immunity, but this requires IL-17RA!
February 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
2)
On myeloid cells, IL-17RA expression is critical to augment Dectin-1 mediated sensing of #fungal populations. This results in inflammasome activation and IL-18 maturation.
So: Fungal populations🍄 induce CD8-mediated antitumor immunity, but this requires IL-17RA!
On myeloid cells, IL-17RA expression is critical to augment Dectin-1 mediated sensing of #fungal populations. This results in inflammasome activation and IL-18 maturation.
So: Fungal populations🍄 induce CD8-mediated antitumor immunity, but this requires IL-17RA!
1) On tumor cells, loss of IL-17RA protects from epithelial-mesenchymal transition, limiting invasion.
IL-17RA appears to be critical to limiting EGFR shuttling back to the cell's surface, thereby blunting Src signaling.
IL-17RA appears to be critical to limiting EGFR shuttling back to the cell's surface, thereby blunting Src signaling.
February 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
1) On tumor cells, loss of IL-17RA protects from epithelial-mesenchymal transition, limiting invasion.
IL-17RA appears to be critical to limiting EGFR shuttling back to the cell's surface, thereby blunting Src signaling.
IL-17RA appears to be critical to limiting EGFR shuttling back to the cell's surface, thereby blunting Src signaling.
We were able to demonstrate an unexpected dual tumor suppressor function of IL-17RA in late-stage CRC, affecting both tumor cells and the immune system!
February 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
We were able to demonstrate an unexpected dual tumor suppressor function of IL-17RA in late-stage CRC, affecting both tumor cells and the immune system!
Using a model of invasive colorectal cancer, we could see a time-dependent effect of IL-17RA.
(1) IL17-RA expression fosters tumor growth early on,
(2) but when tumors become invasive, IL17-RA appears protective.
Why is that?
(1) IL17-RA expression fosters tumor growth early on,
(2) but when tumors become invasive, IL17-RA appears protective.
Why is that?
February 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Using a model of invasive colorectal cancer, we could see a time-dependent effect of IL-17RA.
(1) IL17-RA expression fosters tumor growth early on,
(2) but when tumors become invasive, IL17-RA appears protective.
Why is that?
(1) IL17-RA expression fosters tumor growth early on,
(2) but when tumors become invasive, IL17-RA appears protective.
Why is that?