Researcher Database
Prof. Dr. Mechthild Krause
Klinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie und Radioonkologie Medizinische Fakultät Dresden Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden
Fetscherstraße 74
01307 Dresden
Program
Radiation Oncology and Imaging (ROI)
Summary
The group Translational Radiation Oncology represents the liaison between basic science in the laboratories and the research within the group Clinical Radiation Oncology. Within the framework of the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) this group was newly established. Together with the Clinical Radiation Oncology group on site and in cooperation with all further DKTK partner sites (Heidelberg, Berlin, Essen/Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Mainz, Freiburg, München and Tübingen) the focus is on high-precision technologies, including particle therapy and biological-driven individualization of radiotherapy. Considerable progress is expected from following three major projects: Proton Therapy, RadPlanBio-Platform and Biological Individualization of Radiotherapy.
Within the proton experimental and clinical research facility the clinical gantry is used for patient studies since December 2014. The trial protocols are developed in a tight cooperation between the sections Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology. Aims of the clinical trials are the reduction of the toxicity of proton therapy versus standard radiotherapy. In a second step also dose escalation trials for high-risk patients are intended. The trial protocols always consider translational aspects to evaluate biological mechanisms and biomarkers. Furthermore, preclinical (translational) studies intend to characterize the impact of proton radiotherapy to advance the biological treatment planning for particle therapy.
DKTK Junior Group Leader for Cancer Systems Biology
Single-cell approaches have not only revealed a wide variety of cell states, characterized by cells exhibiting striking differences in their transcriptional profile, but have also illuminated the mechanisms underlying state transitions in health and disease. Cellular plasticity and adaptive state changes have recently emerged as a basis for therapeutic resistance in cancer, and a better understanding of how cell state transitions are regulated is critical to develop therapeutic approaches that can overcome therapy resistance.
Our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms driving non-genetic cellular heterogeneity and therapy resistance in malignancy. Using novel single-cell sequencing approaches, we seek to develop new experimental and computational strategies to define altered cell states in both, cancer and immune cells. Our aim is to leverage a data driven strategy combined with single cell genomics and systems biology to address the challenges posed by heterogeneity in cancer, and to develop new strategies to overcome it, with the aim of translating laboratory-based findings into the clinic.