Diet-induced obesity is a major risk factor for the development of cancer. Although alterations in inflammatory and bioenergetic pathways are critical in linking excessive weight gain to cancer, there is now sufficient evidence to also suggest disease progression may indeed have more to do with the diet itself than increased obesity per se. The diet… [mehr]

Currently about 34 million are infected worldwide by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Although great efforts in the field of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and especially the introduction of antiviral drugs into countries mostly affected by the epidemic point at a reduction of newly acquired infections and HIV associated mortality, still about 1700 persons… [mehr]

3D organoid culture system Our group studies cell signaling in intestinal stem cells and colorectal cancer (CRC), which is the third leading cause of death from cancer among adults. As a model for the healthy and transformed epithelium we use stem cell-derived ‘organoids’: This 3D culture system allows formation of epithelial structures that undergo continuous… [mehr]

The notion that chronic inflammatory diseases are associated with an elevated risk of tumorigenesis and Rudolf Virchow’s findings in the late 19th century when he described the high frequency of leucocytes in tumor areas led the basis for genetic studies specifically examining the links between inflammation and cancer that had initially been proposed more than two… [mehr]

Targeting the bone marrow microenvironment as an adjunct to existing therapies Haematological cancers have a high frequency amongst the general population and pose a major health care problem. Significant progress has been made in the treatment of leukaemia. The treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) was revolutionized by targeted therapy in the form of imatinib… [mehr]

Position available as PostDoc – PhD Student – Technician       The Bone Marrow Microenvironment in the Hematopoietic System Under physiological conditions, primitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in anatomically defined areas, referred to as bone marrow niches. The existence of a tightly regulated cross-talk between the complex cellular components of the niche and the HSCs… [mehr]

Brain metastases are the most common cerebral tumor in adults currently affecting up to 30% of cancer patients. Advanced management of primary tumors has led to increased brain metastases incidence over the past years. Despite the severe clinical issue that is associated with brain metastases, current treatment options remain limited and standard of care therapy… [mehr]

Targeted killer cells for cancer immunotherapy Cytotoxic lymphocytes genetically modified to express so-called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) hold promise for adoptive cancer immunotherapy. CARs are artificial transmembrane proteins that typically contain an extracellular single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) for recognition of antigens on the tumor cell surface, fused to intracellular signaling moieties such as CD3zeta (first… [mehr]