The main focus of our work is the analysis of antigen-specific T lymphocyte responses to tumours and the development of immunotherapy approaches for cancer treatment. The transfer of T cell receptor (TCR) genes provides an exciting strategy to equip patient T lymphocytes with well-characterized TCRs, allowing the gene modified T cells to attack tumour cells. We also use the TCR transfer approach to explore whether it can control EBV associated malignancies and CMV spread in immunosuppressed individuals. Our experimental platform involves extensive in vitro analysis of target antigen expression and the definition of effective T cell responses. We use in vivo murine models to test safety and efficacy of new immunotherapy protocols, and are currently translating our research into phase I/II clinical trials with the goal of establishing effective immunity in patients.