Research focus

The main research focus of the molecular neurooncology group at the Department of Neuropathology is placed on the identification and functional characterization of genes that are aberrant in primary brain tumors, in particular gliomas, pediatric medulloblastomas and meningeal tumors, but also CNS lymphomas and metastatic cancers to the brain. Using molecular genetic techniques, we investigate primary human brain tumor tissues, in vitro cultivated cell lines and experimental tumors in transgenic animal models to identify tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes that are deregulated in these tumors. A particular focus is also placed on the role of epigenetic DNA changes, such as aberrant DNA methylation, as well as microRNA or long non-coding RNA aberrations in brain tumor initiation and progression. Furthermore, our group is very active in translational brain tumor research aiming at the identification and validation of molecular biomarkers and novel molecular diagnostic techniques as valuable tools for improved brain tumor classification as well as an individualized prediction of patient outcome and response to therapy.

Our group participates in the Molecular Diagnostic, Early Detection and Biomarker Development program of the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and serves as molecular diagnostics center and central biobank of the German Glioma Network. Moreover, in collaboration with the Department of Neurosurgery of the University Hospital Düsseldorf we run the CNS tumor tissue bank Düsseldorf to support tissue-based research projects in neuro-oncology.