The genome encodes all the information required to direct the development of an organism from the fertilized egg into a complex organism such as humans. Mis-regulation in the developmental gene program does lead to disease, such as cancer, in children and adults. A novel class of genes, the long, non-protein coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and their… [mehr]

Metabolic Derangements in Cancer Cancer is marked by dysregulation of the signaling pathways that orchestrate proliferation, cell death, tumor-promoting inflammation, and bioenergetic pathways. Our studies focus on elucidating the host and tumor energy metabolism in pancreatic and intestinal cancer, delineating the critical…[more]

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

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…[more]

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…[more]

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)…[more]

Under physiological conditions, primitive hematopoietic stem cells 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 is critical for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and blood regeneration…[more]

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…[more]

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…[more]