Onkologische Forschungsgruppen der Chirurgie

Leitung

PD Dr. Nathalie Britzen-Laurent

Mitglieder

Mina Saad Aziz Saad, Maral Batbold, Sarah Loerakker, Carmen Christoph, Christa Brost

Überblick über die Forschungsinhalte

Despite new protocols of radio/chemotherapy and recent breakthroughs in immune therapy, gastrointestinal malignancies are often refractory to treatment. 
Solid tumors are characterized by the high heterogeneity, adaptability and plasticity of their different cellular compartments. For instance, tumor cells are able to escape the surveillance by the patient’s own immune system long before the tumor reaches its clinically detectable size. Furthermore, the intrinsic ability of cancer cells to adapt and evolve rapidly can result in acquired resistance to therapy, ultimately leading to tumor relapse. The connective tissue in the tumor microenvironment is also remodeled, with a strong activation of fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells, further contributing to tumor development and therapy response.

Our research focuses on the role of heterogeneity and plasticity in the development and resistance mechanisms of gastro-intestinal cancers. Our current main projects are:

• Mechanisms of immune resistance in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
  In this project, we explore the mechanisms by which tumor cells can evade the host anti-tumor immune response. We notably investigate the role of protein N-glycosylation in this regard.
• Role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) heterogeneity and plasticity in PDAC
  In this part, we are investigating the role of different CAF subtypes for PDAC aggressivity and drug sensitivity.
• Role of the intestinal vasculature in inflammation and inflammation-associated carcinogenesis
  In this project, we investigate how the reactivity of the intestinal blood vessels, and notably their permeability, contributes to inflammation and tumor development.

Laufende Forschungsprojekte

• 2021-2025: German Research Foundation (DFG): Collaborative Research Center: “Striking a moving target: From mechanisms of metastatic organ colonization to novel systemic therapies" (TRR305)
  Project title: “The role of the EMT-transcription factor Zeb1 in CAFs for metastatic colonization and growth.”
• 2022-2026: German Research Foundation (DFG): Collaborative Research Center: “Immune-Epithelial Communication in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases” (TRR241)
  Project title: “Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications of vascular permeability defects in inflammatory bowel diseases.”

Methoden

• Preclinical tumor models (mouse)
• Normal and tumor organoids (mouse/human)
• Normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts
• High-throughput drug screening
• Intravital microscopy
• Confocal microscopy

Kooperationspartner

• PD Dr. Marc Stemmler (FAU)
• Prof. Dr. Michael Stürzl (UKER)
• Dr. Peter Bailey (University of Glasgow)
• Prof. Dr. Maximilian Waldner (UKER)
• Dr. Sebastian Schürmann (FAU)
• PD Dr. Susanne Krug (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin)
• Dr. Fulvia Ferrazi (FAU)
• Dr. Renato Liguori (FAU)

Publikationen

• Mohamed Abdou M, Kreiß L, Schmid B, Thoma O-M, Krüger R, Bénard A, Müller TM, Knauss A, Gabel M, González-Acera M, Lyu Y, Petter K, Lindemann A, Saad MSA, Eichhorn P, Becker C, Naschberger E, Zundler S, Weigmann B, Rath T, Atreya R, Kühl AA, Trajanoski Z, TRR241 IBDome Consortium, Friedrich O, Waldner MJ, Neurath MF, Herrmann M, Schürmann S, Britzen-Laurent N, Michael Stürzl (2026) Early gut–vascular barrier breakdown precedes colitis onset in murine models. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. in press
• Zhang S, Yun D, Yang H, Eckstein M, Elbait GD, Zhou Y, Lu Y, Yang H, Zhang J, Dörflein I, Britzen-Laurent N, Pfeffer S, Stemmler MP, Dahl A, Mukhopadhyay D, Chang D, He H, Zeng S, Lan B, Frey B, Hampel C, Lentsch E, Gollavilli PN, Büttner C, Ekici AB, Biankin A, Schneider-Stock R, Ceppi P, Grützmann R, Pilarsky C (2024) Roflumilast inhibits tumor growth and migration in STK11/LKB1 deficient pancreatic cancer. Cell Death Discov. 9;10(1):124. doi: 10.1038/s41420-024-01890-y
• Thoma OM, Naschberger E, Kubánková M, Larafa I, Kramer V, Menchicchi B, Merkel S, Britzen-Laurent N, Jefremow A, Grützmann R, Koop K, Neufert C, Atreya R, Guck J, Stürzl M, Neurath MF, Waldner MJ (2024) p21 Prevents the Exhaustion of CD4+ T Cells Within the Antitumor Immune Response Against Colorectal Cancer. Gastroenterology. 166(2):284-297.e11. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.09.017.
• Naschberger E, Flierl C, Huang J, Erkert L, Gamez-Belmonte R, Gonzalez-Acera M, Bober M, Mehnert M, Becker C, Schellerer VS, Britzen-Laurent N, Stürzl M (2023) Analysis of the interferon-γ-induced secretome of intestinal endothelial cells: putative impact on epithelial barrier dysfunction in IBD. Front Cell Dev Biol. 14;11:1213383. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1213383.
• Britzen-Laurent N, Weidinger C, Stürzl M (2023) Contribution of Blood Vessel Activation, Remodeling and Barrier Function to Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Int J Mol Sci. 14;24(6):5517. doi: 10.3390/ijms24065517.
• Krug J, Rodrian G, Petter K, Yang H, Khoziainova S, Guo W, Benard A, Merkel S, Gellert S, Maschauer S, Spermann M, Waldner M, Bailey P, Pilarsky C, Liebl A, Tripal P, Christoph J, Naschberger E, Croner R, Schellerer VS, Becker C, Hartmann A, Tuting T, Prante O, Grutzmann R, Grivennikov SI, Sturzl M, Britzen-Laurent N (2023) N-glycosylation Regulates Intrinsic IFN-gamma Resistance in Colorectal Cancer: Implications for Immunotherapy. Gastroenterology. 164(3): p. 392-406 e5.
• Zeng S, Lan B, Ren X, Zhang S, Schreyer D, Eckstein M, Yang H, Britzen-Laurent N, Dahl A, Mukhopadhyay D, Chang D, Kutschick I, Pfeffer S, Bailey P, Biankin A, Grutzmann R, Pilarsky C (2022) CDK7 inhibition augments response to multidrug chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 41(1): p. 241.
• Yun D, Yang Z, Zhang S, Yang H, Liu D, Grutzmann R, Pilarsky C, Britzen-Laurent N (2022) An m5C methylation regulator-associated signature predicts prognosis and therapy response in pancreatic cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol. 10: p. 975684.
• Yang H, Liu B, Liu D, Yang Z, Zhang S, Xu P, Xing Y, Kutschick I, Pfeffer S, Britzen-Laurent N, Grutzmann R, Pilarsky C (2022) Genome-Wide CRISPR Screening Identifies DCK and CCNL1 as Genes That Contribute to Gemcitabine Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 14(13).
• Lan B, Zeng S, Zhang S, Ren X, Xing Y, Kutschick I, Pfeffer S, Frey B, Britzen-Laurent N, Grutzmann R, Cordes N, Pilarsky C (2022) CRISPR-Cas9 Screen Identifies DYRK1A as a Target for Radiotherapy Sensitization in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 14(2).
• He H, Zhang S, Yang H, Xu P, Kutschick I, Pfeffer S, Britzen-Laurent N, Grutzmann R, Fu D, Pilarsky C (2022) Identification of Genes Associated with Liver Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer Reveals PCSK6 as a Crucial Mediator. Cancers (Basel). 15(1).
• Regensburger D, Tenkerian C, Purzer V, Schmid B, Wohlfahrt T, Stolzer I, Lopez-Posadas R, Gunther C, Waldner MJ, Becker C, Sticht H, Petter K, Flierl C, Gass T, Thoenissen T, Geppert CI, Britzen-Laurent N, Meniel VS, Ramming A, Sturzl M, Naschberger E (2021) Matricellular Protein SPARCL1 Regulates Blood Vessel Integrity and Antagonizes Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 27(9): p. 1491-1502.
• Bardenbacher M, Ruder B, Britzen-Laurent N, Naschberger E, Becker C, Palmisano R, Sturzl M, Tripal P (2020) Investigating Intestinal Barrier Breakdown in Living Organoids. J Vis Exp. (157).
• Langer V, Vivi E, Regensburger D, Winkler TH, Waldner MJ, Rath T, Schmid B, Skottke L, Lee S, Jeon NL, Wohlfahrt T, Kramer V, Tripal P, Schumann M, Kersting S, Handtrack C, Geppert CI, Suchowski K, Adams RH, Becker C, Ramming A, Naschberger E, Britzen-Laurent N, Sturzl M (2019) IFN-gamma drives inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis through VE-cadherin-directed vascular barrier disruption. J Clin Invest. 129(11): p. 4691-4707.
• Bengs S, Becker E, Busenhart P, Spalinger MR, Raselli T, Kasper S, Lang S, Atrott K, Mamie C, Vavricka SR, von Boehmer L, Knuth A, Tuomisto A, Makinen MJ, Hruz P, Turina M, Rickenbacher A, Petrowsky H, Weber A, Frei P, Halama M, Jenkins G, Sheppard D, Croner RS, Christoph J, Britzen-Laurent N, Naschberger E, Schellerer V, Sturzl M, Fried M, Rogler G, Scharl M (2019) beta(6) -integrin serves as a novel serum tumor marker for colorectal carcinoma. Int J Cancer. 145(3): p. 678-685.

Kontakt

PD Dr. Nathalie Britzen-Laurent
09131 85 40941
nathalie.britzen-laurent(at)uk-erlangen.de

Weiterführende Links

https://www.chirurgie.uk-erlangen.de/forschung/gastrointestinale-onkologie-und-entzuendungen-pd-dr-n-britzen-laurent/

Stand: 04/2026

Leitung

Prof. Dr. Michael Stürzl

Mitglieder

Prof. Dr. Elisabeth NaschbergerJulia Dollinger, Katja Petter, MTA, Tina Schnürer, MTA, Yanmin Liu, Florian Hadersbeck, Mariam Mohamed Abdou, M. Sc., Julius Bibl, Leon Beckler, M.Sc., Qi Fang, Bisan Zohud, M.Sc., Taoyu Yang, Tobias Gass, MTA, Kirill Schneider, Timur Buniatov, MD, Anne Jacobsen, MD, Annika Becker, Amelie Roos

Überblick Forschungsinhalte

We are engaged in clinically-oriented, oncological basic research with the specific aim of improving the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases (colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases). Special emphasis is placed on the role of blood vessels and inflammation as pathogenesis factors and therapeutic targets.

Laufende Forschungsprojekte, inkl. Fördermittelgeber

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
• Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Klinische Forschung (IZKF) Erlangen
• ELAN
• Förderverein des Tumorzentrums
• W. Lutz Stiftung

Methoden / Studien

• Cell culture: primary cell isolation and cultivation from patients (endothelial cells, fibroblasts, 3D organoids, immune cells), angiogenesis models (OrganoGraft Chips, 3D sprouting, transmigration, wounding assay, Ibidi flow model), proliferation, adhesion, barrier and cell death assays, transfection and transduction techniques, drug testing, live cell imaging.
• Histology & imaging: fluorescent and permanent histochemistry, in situ hybridization (ISH classical/RNAscope), advanced microscopy (LSM, STED, Light sheet microscopy).
• Molecular biology and protein analysis: western blotting, immunoprecipitation and fractionation, qRT-PCR, ELISA, protein purification (FPLC), GTPase assays, DIGE, cloning and mutagenesis, promoter assays (luc, EMSA). 
• Omics: RNAseq, SNP arrays, methylation chips, Affymetrix chips.
• Animal models: Development and application of tumor and inflammation models (chemical, organoid-based), breeding (stable/inducible lines), endoscopy, surgery, pharmacological interventions.
• Clinical research: Ethics approvals, study design and integration (TuMiC, ChildOrg), implementation of work flows, lab-clinical data integration.

Kooperationspartner

• Medizinische Klinik 1
• Medizinische Klinik 3
• Institut für Biochemie
• Pathologisches Institut
• Radiologisches Institut
• MPI
• Genetik
• Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Medizin II
• Extern: members DFG-TRR 417, DKFZ Heidelberg, USZ Zürich, Clinical Center Regensburg

Publikationen

• Stürzl, M., Roth, W. K., Brockmeyer, N. H., Zietz, C., Speiser, B., Hofschneider, P. H. Expression of platelet-derived growth factor and its receptor in AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma in vivo suggests paracrine and autocrine mechanisms of tumor maintenance. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 89(15):7046-50 (1992)
• Davis, M. A., Stürzl, M. A., Blasig, C., Schreier, A., Guo, H. G., Reitz, M., Opalenik, S. R., Browning, P. J. Expression of human herpesvirus 8-encoded cyclin D in Kaposi's sarcoma spindle cells. J Natl Cancer Inst, 89(24):1868-74 (1997)
• Stürzl, M., Hohenadl, C., Zietz, C., Castanos-Velez, E., Wunderlich, A., Ascherl, G., Biberfeld, P., Monini, P., Browning, P. J., Ensoli, B. Expression of K13/v-FLIP gene of human herpesvirus 8 and apoptosis in Kaposi's sarcoma spindle cells. J Natl Cancer Inst, 91(20):1725-33 (1999)
• Stürzl, M., Wunderlich, A., Ascherl, G., Hohenadl, C., Monini, P., Zietz, C., Browning, P. J., Neipel, F., Biberfeld, P., Ensoli, B. Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) gene expression in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) primary lesions: an in situ hybridization study. Leukemia, 1:S110-2 (1999)
• Ascherl, G., Hohenadl, C., Schatz, O., Shumay, E., Bogner, J., Eckhart, L., Tschachler, E., Monini, P., Ensoli, B., Stürzl, M. Infection with human immunodeficiency virus-1 increases expression of vascular endothelial cell growth factor in T cells: implications for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated vasculopathy. Blood, 93(12):4232-41 (1999)
• Guenzi, E., Töpolt, K., Cornali, E., Lubeseder-Martellato C., Jörg, A., Matzen, K., Zietz, C., Kremmer, E., Nappi, F., Schwemmle, M., Hohenadl, C., Barillari, G., Tschachler, E., Monini, P., Ensoli, B., Stürzl, M. The helical domain of GBP-1 mediates the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation by inflammatory cytokines. EMBO J, 20(20):5568-77 (2001)
• Guenzi, E., Töpolt, K., Lubeseder-Martellato, C., Jörg, A., Naschberger, E., Benelli, R., Albini, A., & Stürzl, M. The guanylate binding protein-1 GTPase controls the invasive and angiogenic capability of endothelial cells through inhibition of MMP-1 expression. EMBO J, 22(15):3772-82 (2003)
• Grimm, T., Schneider, S., Naschberger, E., Huber, J., Guenzi, E., Kieser, A., Reitmeir, P., Schulz, T. F., Morris, C. A., & Stürzl, M. EBV latent membrane protein-1 protects B cells from apoptosis by inhibition of BAX. Blood, 105(8):3263-9 (2005)
• Wittmann, L. Klein-Hitpass, T.T. Rau, B. Dietel, V.S. Meniel, A.R. Clarke, S. Merkel, R.S. Croner, W. Hohenberger & M. Stürzl: Matricellular protein SPARCL1 regulates tumor microenvironment-dependentendothelial cell heterogeneity in colorectal carcinoma. Journal of Clinical Investigation 126, 4187-4204 (2016)
• Langer, V., E. Vivi, D. Regensburger, T.H. Winkler, M.J. Waldner, T. Rath, B. Schmid, L. Skottke, S. Lee, N.L. Jeon, T. Wohlfahrt, V. Kramer, P. Tripal, M. Schumann, S. Kersting, C. Handtrack, C.I. Geppert, K. Suchowski, R.H. Adams, C. Becker, A. Ramming, E. Naschberger, N. Britzen-Laurent & M. Stürzl: IFN-γ drives inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis through VE-cadherin-directed vascular barrier disruption. Journal of Clinical Investigation 129, 4691-4707 (2019)
• Naschberger, E., A. Liebl, V.S. Schellerer, M. Schütz, N. Britzen-Laurent, P. Kölbel, U. Schaal, L. Haep, D. Regensburger, T. 
• Krug, J., G. Rodrian, K. Petter, H. Yang, S. Khoziainova, W. Guo, A. Bénard, S. Merkel, S. Gellert, S. Maschauer, M. Spermann, M. Waldner, P. Bailey, C. Pilarsky, A. Liebl, P. Tripal, J. Christoph, E. Naschberger, R. Croner, V.S. Schellerer, C. Becker, A. Hartmann, T. Tüting, O. Prante, R. Grützmann, S.I. Grivennikov, M. Stürzl^# & N. Britzen-Laurent^#: N-glycosylation regulates intrinsic IFN-γ resistance in colorectal cancer: implications for immunotherapy. Gastroenterology 164, 392-406 (2023) (^# shared senior-authorship)
• Reimann, T. M., Müdsam, C., Schachtler, C., Ince, S., Sticht, H., Herrmann, C., Stürzl, M., & Kost, B. The large GTPase AtGBPL3 links nuclear envelope formation and morphogenesis to transcriptional repression. Nat Plants, 9(5):766-784 (2023)
• Naschberger, E., Fuchs, M., Dickel, N., Kunz, M., Popp, B., Anchang, C. G., Demmler, R., Lyu, Y., Uebe, S., Ekici, A. B., Geppert, C. I., Hartmann, A., Flierl, C., Petter, K., Gass, T., Völkl, S., Scharl, M., Ramming, A., Günther, C., Merkel, S., … Stürzl, M. Tumor microenvironment-dependent epigenetic imprinting in the vasculature predicts colon cancer outcome. Cancer Commun, 43(11):1280-1285 (2023)

Kontakt

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Michael Stürzl
Translational Research Center Erlangen
Chirurgische Klinik
Abt. Molekulare und Experimentelle Chirurgie
Schwabachanlage 12
91054 Erlangen
09131 85 39520
michael.stuerzl(at)uk-erlangen.de

Weiterführende Links

https://www.chirurgie.uk-erlangen.de/en/research-teaching/molecular-and-experimental-surgery/

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Stürzl

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9276-2824

Stand: 04/2026

Leitung

Prof. Dr. Christian Pilarsky

Mitglieder

Herr Dr. Alan Benard

Überblick Forschungsinhalte

Die Arbeitsgruppe untersucht insbesondere neue Möglichkeiten zur Therapie von Pankreaskarzinomen mittels Identifikation von neuen Vulnerabilitäten durch CRISPR/Cas9 in den Bereichen der DNA Reparatur und Tumorimmunologie.

Laufende Forschungsprojekte

• Fgl1 in pancreatic cancer
• STK11 as indicator of DNA repair capacity
• PRPF19 for pancreatic cancer therapy

Methoden

• Organoide
• CRISPR/Cas9

Kooperationspartner

• Dr. Markus Eckstein, Institut für Pathologie
• PD Dr. Benjamin Frey, Strahlenklinik

Publikationen

• Gong, Y., Leon, M., Mo, H., Pengpaeng, P., Yang, H., Lu, Y., Yin, Z., Benard, A., Zhou, Y., Grützmann, R., Pilarsky, C. CRISPR-Cas9 screening reveals G2E3 as a novel ubiquitin-linked factor controlling autophagosome-lysosome fusion and cancer cell progression. Cell Death Discov, 11(1):455 (2025)
• Lu, Y., Stoof, J., Tanoé, Y. R., Walsh, N., Bijlsma, M. F., Lei, H., Chen, T., Grahovac, J., Grützmann, R., Pilarsky, C. CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering in PDAC: From preclinical studies to translation and clinical research. Semin Cancer Biol, 114:242-255 (2025)
• Herbert, K. J., Upstill-Goddard, R., Dreyer, S. B., Rebus, S., Pilarsky, C., Debabrata, M., Lord, C. J., Biankin, A. V., Froeling, F. E. M., Chang, D. K. Sequential ATR and PARP inhibition overcomes acquired DNA damaging agent resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Br J Cancer, 133(3):381-393 (2025)
• Khine, H. E. E., Suriya, U., Rungrotmongkol, T., Chamni, S., Lu, Y., Bénard, A., Lan, B., Mukhopadhyay, D., Chang, D., Biankin, A., Schneider-Stock, R., Grützmann, R., Sungthong, R., Pilarsky, C., Chaotham, C. Jorunnamycin A induces apoptosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells, spheroids, and patient-derived organoids by modulating KRAS-mediated survival pathways. Sci Rep, 15(1):11376 (2025)
• Fiorini, E., Malinova, A., Schreyer, D., Pasini, D., Bevere, M., Alessio, G., Rosa, D., D'Agosto, S., Azzolin, L., Milite, S., Andreani, S., Lupo, F., Veghini, L., Grimaldi, S., Pedron, S., Castellucci, M., Nourse, C., Salvia, R., Malleo, G., Ruzzenente, A., Guglielmi, A., Milella, M., Lawlor, R. T., Luchini, C., Agostini, A., Carbone, C., Pilarsky, C., Sottoriva, A., Scarpa, A., Tuveson, D. A., Bailey, P., Corbo, V. MYC ecDNA promotes intratumour heterogeneity and plasticity in PDAC. Nature 40(8059):811-820 (2025)

Kontakt

Christian Pilarsky
Professor für Chirurgische Forschung
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
Klinik für Chirurgie
Translational Research Center
Schwabachanlage 12
91054 Erlangen

Tel.: +49 (0)9131 85-39516

Email: christian.pilarsky(at)uk-erlangen.de

Weiterführende Links

https://www.chirurgie.uk-erlangen.de/forschung/ag-prof-dr-c-pilarsky/

Stand: 04/2026

Leitung

Prof. Dr. med. Georg Weber, MHBA

Überblick Forschungsinhalte

Topics: Tumor immunology, PDAC, Liquid biopsy analysis, inflammation and cancer

Laufende Forschungsprojekte

• Liquid biopsy analysis in gastrointestinal cancer diseases – new diagnostic avenues.
• To understand the function of Interleukin-3 and B cells in pancreatic cancer progression.
• To understand the role of CD73 in predicting the outcome in pancreatic cancer patients.

Methoden

Experimental methods:

• Flow cytometry
• ELISA
• q-PCR

Procedures in mice:

• intranasal injection
• intratracheal injection
• intrapulmonal injection
• intrapleural injection (Inter-Costal Approach of the Pleural Space (ICAPS) model))
• Orthotopic injection (Pancreas)
• ceacal ligation and puncture (CLP)

Exosomes
Ex vivo and organoid cultures (human and murine)

Klinische Studien

• LiquImm
• SEPICER
• DISPACT-2
• GAIN

Kooperationspartner

• Prof. Filip K. Swirski, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
• Dr. Kai Sohn, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung, Germany
• Prof. Hakho Lee, Harvard Medical School, USA
• Prof. Dr. phil. nat. Christian Pilarsky, Universititätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany
• Dr. Cameron S. McAlpine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
• Prof. Paul Kubes, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
• Prof. Clinton S. Robbins, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Canada
• Prof. Markus A. Weigand, Department of Anaesthesiology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Germany
• Ph.D. Timo Wittenberger, Genedata AG, Switzerland
• PD Dr. med. habil. Dr. rer. nat. Luiz Muñoz, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany

Publikationen

• Interleukin-3 protects against viral pneumonia in sepsis by enhancing plasmacytoid dendritic cell recruitment into the lungs and T cell priming. Be ́nard A, Hansen FJ, Uhle F, Klösch B, Czubayko F, Mittelstädt A, Jacobsen A, David P, Podolska MJ, Anthuber A, Swierzy I, Schaack D, Mühl-Zürbes P, Steinkasserer A, Weyand M, Weigand MA, Brenner T, Krautz C, Grützmann R and Weber GF. Front. Immunol. 14:1140630.
• Plasma extracellular vesicle messenger RNA profiling identifies prognostic EV signature for non-invasive risk stratification for survival prediction of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Han, Y., P. Drobisch, A. Kruger, D. William, K. Grutzmann, L. Bothig, H. Polster, L. Seifert, A. M. Seifert, M. Distler, M. Pecqueux, C. Riediger, V. Plodeck, H. Nebelung, G. F. Weber, C. Pilarsky, U. Kahlert, U. Hinz, S. Roth, T. Hackert, J. Weitz, F. C. Wong and C. Kahlert. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16(1): 7.
• Circulating Monocytes Serve as Novel Prognostic Biomarker in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients. Hansen, F. J., P. David, M. Akram, S. Knoedler, A. Mittelstadt, S. Merkel, M. J. Podolska, I. Swierzy, L. Rossdeutsch, B. Klosch, D. Kouhestani, A. Anthuber, A. Benard, M. Brunner, C. Krautz, R. Grutzmann and G. F. Weber. Cancers (Basel) 2023 ; 15(2).
• Electrochemiluminescence in paired signal electrode (ECLipse) enables modular and scalable biosensing.Cho, Y. K., H. Kim, A. Benard, H. K. Woo, F. Czubayko, P. David, F. J. Hansen, J. I. Lee, J. H. Park, E. Schneck, G. F. Weber, I. S. Shin and H. Lee. Sci Adv 2022; 8(38): eabq4022.
• Tumor Infiltration with CD20(+)CD73(+) B Cells Correlates with Better Outcome in Colorectal Cancer.Hansen, F. J., Z. Wu, P. David, A. Mittelstadt, A. Jacobsen, M. J. Podolska, K. Ubieta, M. Brunner, D. Kouhestani, I. Swierzy, L. Rossdeutsch, B. Klosch, I. Kutschick, S. Merkel, A. Denz, K. Weber, C. Geppert, R. Grutzmann, A. Benard and G. F. Weber. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23(9).
• Interleukin-3 is a predictive marker for severity and outcome during SARS-CoV-2 infections.Bénard A, Jacobsen A, Brunner M, Krautz C, Klösch B, Swierzy I, Naschberger E, Podolska MJ, Kouhestani D, David P, Birkholz T, Castellanos I, Trufa D, Sirbu H, Vetter M, Kremer AE, Hildner K, Hecker A, Edinger F, Tenbusch M, Mühl-Zürbes P, Steinkasserer A, Richter E, Streeck H, Berger MM, Brenner T, Weigand MA, Swirski FK, Schett G, Grützmann R, Weber GF. Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 18;12(1):1112.
• Upregulation of CD20 Positive B-Cells and B-Cell Aggregates in the Tumor Infiltration Zone is Associated with Better Survival of Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.Brunner M, Maier K, Rümmele P, Jacobsen A, Merkel S, Bénard A, Krautz C, Kersting S, Grützmann R, Weber GF. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Mar 5;21(5):1779.
• The B-cell inhibitory receptor CD22 is a major factor in host resistance to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.Fernandes VE, Ercoli G, Bénard A, Brandl C, Fahnenstiel H, Müller-Winkler J, Weber GF, Denny P, Nitschke L, Andrew PW. PLoS Pathog. 2020 Apr 23;16(4).
• Gata6(+) pericardial cavity macrophages relocate to the injured heart and prevent cardiac fibrosis.Deniset JF, Belke D, Lee WY, Jorch SK, Deppermann C, Hassanabad AF, Turnbull JD, Teng G, Rozich I, Hudspeth K, Kanno Y, Brooks SR, Hadjantonakis AK, O'Shea JJ, Weber GF, Fedak PWM, Kubes P. Immunity. 2019 Jul 16;51(1):131-140.
• Influence of body mass index on long-term outcome in patients with rectal cancer-A single centre experience.Kalb M, Langheinrich MC, Merkel S, Krautz C, Brunner M, Bénard A, Weber K, Pilarsky C, Grützmann R, Weber GF. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Apr 30;11(5).

Kontakt

Prof. Dr. med. Georg Weber
Stellvertretender Klinikdirektor und Leitender Oberarzt
Chirurgische Klinik
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
Krankenhausstraße 12
91054 Erlangen

Phone:+49 (0)9131 85-42046

Email: georg.weber(at)uk-erlangen.de

Weiterführende Links

https://www.chirurgie.uk-erlangen.de/forschung/ag-pd-dr-g-weber/

Stand: 04/2026

Leitung

Dr. Alan Bénard

Überblick über die Forschungsinhalte

Das duktale Pankreasadenokarzinom (PDAC) wird Prognosen zufolge in naher Zukunft die zweithäufigste krebsbedingte Todesursache sein. Die hohe Mortalität des PDAC resultiert weitgehend aus der Unfähigkeit, die Erkrankung in einem frühen Stadium zu erkennen, was auf den asymptomatischen Charakter lokalisierter Tumoren sowie auf einen Mangel an wirksamen Therapien zurückzuführen ist. 

Der Schwerpunkt unserer Forschung liegt auf der:

• Identifizierung von Biomarkern für Tumoren im Frühstadium
• Identifizierung neuer therapeutischer Targets

Team

• Dr. Aindrila Biswas
• Dr. De Zhang
• Anna-Lena Abels

Laufende Forschungsprojekte

Identifizierung neuer Immunmediatoren, die an der Immunevasion des PDAC beteiligt sind

Methoden

• Primärzellkultur inkl. Primärzellisolierung aus Patienten
• Molekularbiologie
• Präklinische Tumormodelle (Maus)
• Durchflusszytometrie

• Mikroskopie

   

Kooperationspartner

• PD Dr. Britzen-Laurent, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany
• Prof. Dr. phil. nat. Christian Pilarsky, Universititätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany
• PD Dr. med. habil. Dr. rer. nat. Luiz Muñoz, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany
• Dr. Fulvia Ferrazi, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany

• Prof. Stanley Perlman, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Iowa, USA

   

Publikationen

• Gong, Y et al. (2025) CRISPR-Cas9 screening reveals G2E3 as a novel ubiquitin-linked factor controlling autophagosome-lysosome fusion and cancer cell progression. Cell Death Discov. doi: 10.1038/s41420-025-02717-0.
• Khinee, HEE et al. (2025) Jorunnamycin A induces apoptosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells, spheroids, and patient-derived organoids by modulating KRAS-mediated survival pathways. Sci Rep. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-95766-5.
• Mittelstädt, A et al. (2024) Exosomal ROR1 in peritoneal fluid identifies peritoneal disseminated PDAC and is associated with poor survival. Front Immunol. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1253072. eCollection 2024.
• Krug, J et al. (2023) N-glycosylation Regulates Intrinsic IFN-γ Resistance in Colorectal Cancer: Implications for Immunotherapy. Gastroenterology doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.11.018. Epub 2022 Nov 17.
• Hansen, FJ et al. (2022) Tumor Infiltration with CD20+CD73+ B Cells Correlates with Better Outcome in Colorectal Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. doi: 10.3390/ijms23095163.

• Vettel, LE et al. (2021) Colorectal cancer in Crohn's colitis is associated with advanced tumor invasion and a poorer survival compared with ulcerative colitis: a retrospective dual-center study. Int J Colorectal Dis. doi: 10.1007/s00384-020-03726-4. Epub 2020 Sep 12.

   

Kontakt

Dr. Alan Bénard
09131 85 42055
alan.benard(at)uk-erlangen.de

Weiterführende Links

https://www.chirurgie.uk-erlangen.de/en/research-teaching/surgical-research/research-groups/translate-to-english-inflammation-infection-and-cancer/

Stand: 04/2026

Leitung

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Elisabeth Naschberger

Überblick über die Forschungsinhalte

We are exploring cell-cell interactions in complex microenvironments with a focus on the analysis of vascular plasticity under pathological conditions. Gastrointestinal diseases such as colorectal carcinoma or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases are explored in this context but also autoimmune diseases or other diseases with an angiogenic component. We aim to identify new regulatory molecules that regulate vascular plasticity with perspectives for therapeutic intervention, improved diagnosis or patient stratification.

Team

• Florian Hadersbeck, M.Sc.
• Qi Fang
• Bisan Zohud, M.Sc.
• Taoyu Yang
• Tobias Gass, MTA
• Kirill Schneider
• Timur Buniatov, MD
• Anne Jacobsen, MD

Laufende Forschungsprojekte

• DFG
• IZKF
• ELAN
• Förderverein des Tumorzentrums.

Methoden

• Cell culture: primary cell isolation and cultivation from patients (endothelial cells, fibroblasts, 3D organoids, immune cells), angiogenesis models (OrganoGraft Chips, 3D sprouting, transmigration, wounding assay, Ibidi flow model), proliferation, adhesion, barrier and cell death assays, transfection and transduction techniques, drug testing, live cell imaging.
• Histology & imaging: fluorescent and permanent histochemistry, in situ hybridization (ISH classical/RNAscope), advanced microscopy (LSM, STED, Light sheet microscopy).
• Molecular biology and protein analysis: western blotting, immunoprecipitation and fractionation, qRT-PCR, ELISA, protein purification (FPLC), GTPase assays, DIGE, cloning and mutagenesis, promoter assays (luc, EMSA). 
• Omics: RNAseq, SNP arrays, methylation chips, Affymetrix chips.
• Animal models: Development and application of tumor and inflammation models (chemical, organoid-based), breeding (stable/inducible lines), endoscopy, surgery, pharmacological interventions.

• Clinical research: Ethics approvals, study design and integration (TuMiC, ChildOrg), implementation of work flows, lab-clinical data integration.

   

Kooperationspartner

Erlangen: 

• Med 1
• Med 3
• Biochemistry
• Pathology
• Radiology
• MPI
• Genetics
• Experimental Medicine II

External: 

• members DFG-TRR 417
• DKFZ Heidelberg
• USZ Zürich
• Clinical Center Regensburg

Publikationen

Selected publications:
 

• Gonzalez-Acera et al, Gut 2025: doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2024-333729.
• Naschberger et al, Cancer Commun 2023: doi: 10.1002/cac2.12489.
• Thoma et al, Gastroenterology 2023: doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.09.017.
• Krug et al, Gastroenterology 2023: doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.11.018.
• Naschberger et al, Front Cell Dev Biol 2023: doi: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1213383.
• Regensburger et al, Inflamm Bowel Dis 2021: doi: 10.1093/ibd/izaa346.
• Klingler et al, PLOS One 2020: doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233422.
• Naschberger et al, J Vis Exp 2018: doi: 10.3791/57400.
• Naschberger et al, J Cell Mol Med 2017: doi: 10.1111/jcmm.13116.
• Naschberger et al, J Clin Invest 2016: doi: 10.1172/JCI78260.
• Schaal et al, Int J Colorectal Dis 2013: doi: 10.1007/s00384-013-1709-6.
• Hammon et al, J Cell Mol Med 2011: doi: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2010.01146.x.
• Naschberger et al, Exp Dermatol 2011: doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2010.01160.x.
• Naschberger et al, Int J Cancer 2008: doi: 10.1002/ijc.23764.
• Naschberger et al, Am J Pathol 2006: doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2006.060244.

• Naschberger et al, Biochem J 2004: doi: 10.1042/BJ20031873.

   

Kontakt

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Elisabeth Naschberger
09131 85 39524
elisabeth.naschberger(at)uk-erlangen.de

Weiterführende Links

https://www.chirurgie.uk-erlangen.de/en/research-teaching/molecular-and-experimental-surgery/research-groups/translate-to-english-arbeitsgruppe-vascular-plasticity/

Stand: 04/2026