Communications and Marketing
Head of Communications and Marketing
Ulrike Grönefeld
Im Neuenheimer Feld 28069120 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 6221 422854
E-Mail: u.groenefeld@dkfz.de
Press Officer
Dr. Sibylle Kohlstädt
Im Neuenheimer Feld 28069120 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 6221 422843
E-Mail: s.kohlstaedt@dkfz.de
Recent Press Releases
Cancer drugs promote stem cell properties of colorectal cancer
Three-dimensional organoids ("mini tumors") can be grown in the culture dis...
© DKFZ
Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the Mannheim University Medical Center have now discovered that a certain group of cancer drugs (MEK Inhibitors) activates the cancer-promoting Wnt signalling pathway in colorectal cancer cells. This can lead to the accumulation of tumor cells with stem cell characteristics that are resistant to many therapies and can lead to relapses. The researchers thus provide a possible explanation for why these drugs are not effective in colorectal cancer.
Fatty acid metabolism as a possible new therapeutic approach for glioblastomas
Tissue sample from a mouse brain showing a tumor generated from human gliob...
© J. Alfonso/DKFZ
In order to gain enough energy for their rapid growth, glioblastoma cells reprogram their fatty acid metabolism. How they do this has been unclear until now. Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have now discovered that a protein called ACBP (acyl-CoA-binding protein) enhances the transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria. This provides glioblastoma cells with the necessary energy source for their rapid growth. This discovery is not only scientifically relevant, but may also offer new therapeutic approaches for an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis.
Fighting colon cancer with killer cells
Killer cells attack: CAR-NK cells (violet), directed against a cancer speci...
© Henner Farin/Georg-Speyer Haus
Genetically modified immune cells can successfully destroy colon cancer cells. This has been demonstrated for the first time by scientists from the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) at Georg Speyer House in Frankfurt using mini-tumors produced in the lab. They are making use of a new approach in cancer immunotherapy: genetically modified natural killer cells. Using patient-specific tumor cultures, scientists can now run tests in the lab to see how effective the killer cells will be in individual patients.
The DKTK is a consortium centered around the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, which has long-term collaborative partnerships with specialist oncological centers at universities across Germany.
