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Infections with the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can cause life threatening illness in foetuses or patients after transplantation. Antiviral drugs are available but their use is limited due to adverse effects and development of resistance. Antibodies could serve as an alternative approach. From thousands of blood donors we have identified those with the highest activity against HCMV. Now, we aim to test whether plasma from these donors can raise the concentration of anti-HCMV antibody in patients after transplantation.

The immune system is able to distinguish tumor cells from healthy cells. However, the immune response generated against tumor cells is often not strong enough to clear the tumor. The goal of our current project is to activate the immune system by mimicking a viral infection in tumor cells. For this, instead of using intact viruses, we only use specific structures, which are recognized by specialized receptors in the tumor cells, and capsid proteins to target tumor cells.

Despite the advances of new and innovative drugs, the prognosis of patients suffering from metastasized kidney cancer is still poor. The underlying mechanism of the heterogeneous responses to approved immune checkpoint inhibitors remains unclear. Using one of the first autochthonous mouse models of clear cell renal cell carcinoma we want to investigate the impact of the transcription factors HIF-1α and HIF-2α on the tumor microenvironment. We thereby want to identify new pharmacological targets and establish novel predictive and prognostic biomarkers.

Neuronal signals across the entorhino-hippocampal projection play a fundamental role in complex brain function, such as spatial memory and learning. Indeed, evidence has been provided that these signals are altered in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, which may explain some of the major symptoms.

The Else Kröner-Forschungskolleg Frankfurt “Targeted Therapies: from molecular basics to clinical application“ is aiming at the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment that are specifically geared to the molecular characteristics of tumor cells. The physicians in research (Clinician Scientists) which are funded by the Else Kröner-Forschungskolleg are an important link between basic research and clinical applicability.

Impaired fracture healing including delayed non-unions still represents an ongoing clinical challenge as it causes prolonged hospitalization, chronic pain and high socioeconomic costs. Patients with severe injuries present with systemically elevated concentrations of Calca-derived peptides including Procalcitonin (PCT), Calcitonin (CT), and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP). Therefore, the project aims to unravel the roles of these peptides in bone regeneration using in vivo and in vitro approaches.

Medulloblastoma is the most common maligne brain tumor in childhood. Despite radiochemotherapy about 30 % of patients cannot be cured. Moreover, especially in younger children the therapy influences the normal brain development leading to reduction of intelligence quotient and hormonal deficits, for example.

Bladder cancer is a diverse disease: While tumors in different patients may vary in therapeutic options and prognosis, cancer cells exhibit a broad range of molecular alterations. These offer starting points for targeted diagnostics as routinely performed by the Institute of Pathology under the direction of Prof. S. Perner. The institute is internationally recognized for its research focus on urological tumors.

Melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA), an extracellular protein highly expressed by malignant melanoma cells, plays an important functional role in melanoma development, progression, and metastasis. After its secretion, MIA directly interacts with extracellular matrix proteins, such as fibronectin (FN). By this mechanism, MIA actively facilitates focal cell detachment from surrounding structures and strongly promotes tumour cell invasion and migration.

Lynch syndrome is one of the most common inherited cancer syndromes. Affected individuals have a high cancer risk and require intensive cancer surveillance. Early identification of Lynch syndrome individuals is essential to enable their participation at surveillance programs and to prevent cancer. However, current methods to detect Lynch syndrome are limited; for example, diagnostic approaches normally require the presence of manifest tumors. Our group has identified immune responses against recurrent tumor-specific antigens in the blood of Lynch syndrome individuals.