Researcher Database
Prof. Dr. Ralf Küppers
Universitätsklinikum Essen
Virchowstr. 173
45122 Essen
Program
Exploitation of Oncogenic Mechanisms (EOM)
Summary
Lymphoma pathogenesis
Our group is interested in normal B cell differentiation in the human and the pathogenesis of human B and T cell lymphomas. The current work on normal B cells is focused on the genetic and functional characterization of human CD5-positive and memory B cell subsets. We study the clonal composition of the memory B cell compartment and distinct functions of IgM and IgG memory B cells. The current work on lymphoma pathogenesis encompasses studies on Hodgkin lymphoma, CLL, T cell lymphomas, and several other lymphoma entities. We perform genetic studies, including next generation sequencing, to identify genetic lesions in lymphomas. We perform global gene expression studies comparing lymphoma cells to their normal counterparts for the identification of the cell of origin and deregulated genes. We test selected genes in functional studies with lymphoma cell lines for their pathobiological relevance. We study the impact of hepatitis C virus on B cell transformation.
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.