Deutsches
Krebsforschungszentrum

In a new research consortium, scientists from the "Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg" (KiTZ), together with working groups from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and the West German Cancer Centre (WTZ) of Essen University, have teamed up to advance research on Ewing sarcoma and derive approaches for novel diagnosis and therapy methods on this basis. The Gert und Susanna Mayer Stiftung will support the project by providing funds of €1.5 million over a five-year period.

On 4th and 5th February 2019, the 1st German Cancer Research Congress / 1. Deutsche KrebsForschungsKongress will be held in Heidelberg, to showcase cancer research in Germany.

Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now found a cause for the frequent catastrophic events in the genetic material of cancer cells that have only been known for a few years: If an important DNA repair system of the cells has failed, this promotes fragmentation and defective assembly of the genetic material. Cancer cells with such a repair defect can now possibly be treated by a specific group of drugs.

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) and the Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH) have identified a central switch protein in breast cancer that promotes tumor metastasis in response to cellular stress. The switch triggers a stem cell program in the cancer cells that promotes the aggressive spread of the tumor. Chemotherapeutics also activate the switch, and this undermines therapeutic efficacy. By identifying the molecular players involved in the stress-induced spread of breast cancer, the researchers have identified previously unknown possible target structures that could be useful for the development of future therapies.

Regular exercise not only reduces the risk of cancer. Physical training can also support the therapy of a tumor disease. An international consortium of researchers, including scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, has discovered: Patients who exercise regularly not only feel physically fitter and stronger, they also rate their own quality of life as better and suffer less frequently from chronic fatigue syndrome. However, some patient groups seem to benefit more than others.

How is the activity of all genes in cells of higher organisms interconnected? And how are the genetic "wiring diagrams" of the cells in complex tissues coordinated with each other? Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the University of Heidelberg are now planning to investigate this in two model organisms, Drosophila and Arabidopsis. The European Research Council (ERC) is funding the "DECODE" project with a Synergy Grant.

Scientists of the „Hopp Children's Cancer Center at the NCT Heidelberg" (KiTZ), the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), in collaboration with colleagues from Seattle, U.S.A., have built a collection of tumor models that can be used to test anticancer drugs for treating childhood brain cancer. The biobank and database can be accessed by scientists worldwide and is an important resource for cancer research. Children suffering from brain cancer may also benefit from it. The researchers have now published their results in NATURE MEDICINE.

DKFZ and the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) wish to combine their strengths and establish a strong cooperation in cancer-related microbiome research.

Researchers from the „Hopp-Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg“ (KiTZ) together with colleagues from the US, showed substantial molecular diversity behind seemingly similar embryonal brain tumors in children. The scientists could reveal the impact of identifying this molecular diversity on the diagnosis and treatment approach. The investigations, which were conducted in the context of a clinical study, were supported by the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK).

• 23.11.2018, 20:00 Uhr NCT Benefizkonzert – Takte gegen Krebs