Project Details
TRR 209: Liver Cancer - New mechanistic and therapeutic concepts in a solid tumor model
Subject Area
Medicine
Term
from 2017 to 2022
Website
Homepage
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 314905040
Liver cancer (LC) represents the sixth most frequent cancer disease and third most frequent cancer related cause of death with rising incidence even in industrialized countries. It comprises Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, and primary liver tumors of mixed differentiation. LC represents an ideal model for solid cancer: major, well documented cancer risk factors are relevant for LC, namely chronic viral infection (Hepatitis B/C), obesity/metabolic syndrome (Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), toxic injury (alcohol/aflatoxin) and chronic inflammation; still, little is known in regard to the oncogenic mechanism by which the established risk factors drive LC development, how lethal tumor progression takes place in its specific microenvironment, and how to improve treatment approaches accordingly. With excellent model systems available in LC, especially innovative mouse technologies and well annotated human LC cohorts, which reflect its causes and molecular changes, we can solve these questions.The SFB/TR 209 integrates and exploits this strong and exemplary model system constellation and the expertise of internationally leading LC researchers to tackle the relevant mechanistic and interventional questions in a coordinated and complementary manner. Research area A concentrates on tumorigenic mechanisms of the increasingly leading LC etiology in the Western World, Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and the main effector mechanism, chronic inflammation. Research area B investigates key progression mechanisms that shape the interaction between the LC cell and its environment, such as complex regulatory tumor cell mechanisms, tumor cell plasticity, and tumor-stroma interaction. Research area C concentrates on novel, bedside-bench-driven therapeutic approaches mainly addressing the stroma compartment, i. e. tumor immune response and vasculature. Model systems evaluation, biobanking, data storage and bioinformatics analyses issues are concentrated in the central INF-project providing a harmonized and sustainable approach to models, biological samples and data. The research efforts of the SFB/TR 209 are well linked to strong LC translational and clinical structures at all three partner sites. Existing efficient structures addressing the promotion of junior scientists, the compatibility of family and career, and gender issues established at all three partner sites will be used and specifically complemented by the SFB/TR 209. Built on its strong research track, complementary and cooperative research program, and linked to well established translational structures, the SFB/TR 209 gains relevant new mechanistic insights and interventional strategies that are expected to impact on other solid tumor diseases even beyond this clinically relevant model cancer.
DFG Programme
CRC/Transregios
Completed projects
- A02 - Hepatitis C virus induced dysregulation of lipid metabolism and implications for HCC development (Project Heads Bartenschlager, Ralf Friedrich Wilhelm ; Lohmann, Volker )
- A03 - Functional genetic dissection of hepatocarcinogenesis in NASH (Project Heads Rudalska, Ramona ; Zender, Lars )
- A04 - Platelet aggregation and activity in steatosis-HCC (Project Heads Claassen, Ph.D., Manfred ; Heikenwälder, Mathias )
- A05 - Function of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in inflammation-associated liver carcinogenesis (Project Heads Angel, Peter ; Damle-Vartak, Amruta )
- A06 - Role of atypical IκB protein IκBζ in HCC formation (Project Heads Hailfinger, Stephan ; Schulze-Osthoff, Klaus )
- B01 - Linking chronic inflammation with tumor suppressor gene inactivation in liver cancer (Project Head Rössler, Stephanie )
- B02 - Metabolic reprogramming and control of autophagy in HCC progression (Project Heads Nordheim, Alfred ; Proikas-Cezanne, Tassula )
- B03 - Cooperative and exclusive functions of Hippo pathway effectors in hepatocarcinogenesis (Project Heads Breuhahn, Kai ; Weiler, Sofia Maria Elisabeth )
- B04 - Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) alterations and functional implications in hepatocarcinogenesis (Project Head Singer, Stephan )
- B05 - The role of epigenetic modifiers in liver cancer plasticity (Project Head Tschaharganeh, Darjus-Felix )
- B06 - Defining the role of Notch signalling in the formation of Cholangiocarcinoma (Project Head Malek, Nisar Peter )
- B07 - Identification and functional characterization of cancer cell-derived, stroma-modulating factors in cholangiocarcinoma (Project Heads Saborowski, Anna Lena ; Saborowski, Michael )
- B08 - Dissecting the molecular interplay between tumor cells and stroma in primary live cancer (Project Heads Longerich, Thomas ; Pellegrino, Rossella )
- B08 - Dissecting the molecular interplay between tumor cells and stroma in primary liver cancer (Project Heads Longerich, Thomas ; Pellegrino, Rossella )
- C01 - Optimization and evaluation of c-myc – directed liver cancer therapy (Project Head Vogel, Arndt )
- C02 - Combinatorial targeting of epigenetic mechanisms in liver cancer (Project Heads Bitzer, Michael ; Dauch, Ph.D., Daniel )
- C03 - HCC and the hepatic vascular niche: Analysis of angiocrine and adhesive vascular targets (Project Heads Augustin, Hellmut G. ; Goerdt, Sergij )
- C05 - Microsphere-based immuno-therapy of HCC (Project Head Wirth, Thomas )
- C06 - Targeting the mutanome of liver cancer by viral oncoly-sis and tumor-directed immunotherapies (Project Head Kühnel, Florian )
- C07 - Identification of molecular mechanisms conferring resistance to oncolytic viruses in HCC and implications for successful HCC virotherapy (Project Heads Eggert, Tobias ; Kühnel, Florian ; Lauer, Ulrich M. )
- INF - Informationsstruktur (Project Heads Illig, Thomas ; Nahnsen, Sven ; Poth, Tanja ; Schirmacher, Peter )
- Z01 - Central Task (Project Head Schirmacher, Peter )
Applicant Institution
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Co-Applicant Institution
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
Participating Institution
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ)
Spokesperson
Professor Dr. Peter Schirmacher