Intracellular Communication of Gliomas via Exosomes

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Franz Ricklefs
• Subject Area: Molecular and Cellular Neurology and Neuropathology ; Clinical Neurology; Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology
• Term: from 2014 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 267490279

Malignant gliomas evade therapy because of their complex and adaptive cellular composition, their ability to evade most therapies through compensatory mechanisms and the difficulty to deliver drugs.Complementing the mechanistic understanding of intratumoural cellular communication and signaling, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as transporters of signaling molecules between cells and micro-RNAs have been identified as a key content of these EVs. Recent data from several investigators have shown that the introduction of selected miRs into tumor cells can affect their growth, proliferation, stemness and radio-resistance.The outlined project aims to contribute to the in depth analysis EV mediated modulation of cellular phenotypes and functional adaptation via micro-RNA signaling. The goal is to develop strategies based on EV technology and miR pharmacology for novel therapies against glioblastoma.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca