Pharmaceutical Biology of Natural Products (apl. Prof. Dr. Thomas Efferth)
Research Topics
1. Natural Product Research
The aims are (a) the identification of novel drugs from medicinal plants with improved tumor specificity and efficacy against drug-resistant tumors as well as less adverse side effects and (b) the analysis of underlying molecular modes of action in tumor cells and normal tissues. A current research project focuses on chemically pure compounds derived from traditional Chinese medicine.
Selected Publications:
T. Efferth, A. Sauerbrey, A. Olbrich, E.Gebhart, P. Rauch, H.O.Weber, J.G. Hengstler, M.E. Halatsch, M. Volm, K.D. Tew, D.D. Ross, and J. O. Funk: Molecular modes of action of artesunate in tumor cell lines. Molecular Pharmacology 64, 382-394 (2003)
T. Efferth, A. Benakis, M. R. Romero, D. Steinbach, R. Häfer, T. Stamminger, B. Kaina, F. Oesch, and M. Marschall: Enhancement of cytotoxicity of artemisinins towards cancer cells by ferrous iron. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 37, 998-1009 (2004)
T. Efferth: Willmar Schwabe Award 2006: Antiplasmodial and Antitumor Activity of Artemisinin - From Bench to Bedside. Planta Medica 73, 299-309 (2007).
Efferth T, Kahl S, Paulus K, Adams M, Rauh R, Boechzelt H, Hao X, Kaina B, and Bauer R. Phytochemistry and pharmacogenomics of natural products derived from traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese materia medica with activity against tumor cells. Molecular Cancer Therapy 7, 152-161 (2008).
2. Individualized Cancer Treatment with Natural Products
The aim is to identify prognostic factors indicating drug resistance of tumors and survival time of patients for the predictive determination for individualized therapy options and to develop novel optimized treamtent options with natural products for an individualized treatment of cancer patients.
Selected Publications:
B. Gunawan, W. Huber, M. Holtrup, A. von Heydebreck, T. Efferth, A. Poustka, R.H. Ringert, G. Jakse, and L. Füzesi: Prognostic impacts of cytognetic findings in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: gain of 5q31-qter predicts a distinct clinical phenotype with favorable prognosis. Cancer Research 61, 7731-7738 (2001)
M. Volm, R. Koomägi, J. Mattern, and T. Efferth: Expression profile of genes in non small cell lung carcinomas from long-term surviving patients. Clinical Cancer Research 8, 1843-1848 (2002)
J.-P. Gillet, T. Efferth, D. Steinbach, F. de Longueville, V. Bertholet, and J. Remacle: Microarray-based detection of multidrug resistance in human tumor cells by expression profiling of ATP-binding cassette transporter genes. Cancer Research 64, 8987-8993 (2004)
T. Efferth, E. B. Bachli, S. M. Schwarzl, J. S. Goede, C. West, J. C. Smith, and E. Beutler: Glucose-6-phosphate dehgydrogenase (G6PD)-deficiency type Zurich: a splice site mutation as an uncommon mechanism producing enzyme deficiency (letter). Blood 104, 2608 (2004)
T. Efferth and M. Volm: Pharmacogenetics and individualized cancer chemotherapy. Pharmacology and Therapeutics 107, 155-176 (2005)
Efferth T, Gillet JP, Sauerbrey A, Zintl F, Bertholet V, de Longueville F, Remacle J and Steinbach D. Expression profiling of ATP-binding cassette transporters in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 5, 1986-1994 (2006)
Steinbach D, Gillet JP, Sauerbrey A, Gruhn B, Dawczynski K, Bertholet V, de Longueville F, Zintl F, Remacle J and Efferth T. ABCA3 as a possible cause of drug resistance in childhood acute myeloid leukemia. Clinical Cancer Research 12, 4357-4363 (2006)