Selected Publications

Becker JC, Ugurel S, Leiter U, Meier F, Gutzmer R, Haferkamp S, Zimmer L, Livingstone E, Eigentler TK, Hauschild A, Kiecker F, Hassel JC, Mohr P, Fluck M, Thomas I, Garzarolli M, Grimmelmann I, Drexler K, Spillner AN, Eckhardt S, Schadendorf D; DeCOG. Adjuvant immunotherapy with nivolumab versus observation in completely resected Merkel cell carcinoma (ADMEC-O): disease-free survival results from a randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2023 Sep 2;402(10404):798-808. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00769-9. Epub 2023 Jul 11. Erratum in: Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1422. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02294-8. PMID: 37451295.

Lei KC, Srinivas N, Chandra M, Kervarrec T, Coyaud E, Spassova I, Peiffer L, Houben R, Shuda M, Hoffmann D, Schrama D, Becker JC. Merkel cell polyomavirus pan-T antigen knockdown reduces cancer cell stemness and promotes neural differentiation independent of RB1. J Med Virol. 2024 Jul;96(7):e29789. doi: 10.1002/jmv.29789. PMID: 38988206.

Hansen UK, Church CD, Carnaz Simões AM, Frej MS, Bentzen AK, Tvingsholm SA, Becker JC, Fling SP, Ramchurren N, Topalian SL, Nghiem PT, Hadrup SR. T antigen-specific CD8+ T cells associate with PD-1 blockade response in virus-positive Merkel cell carcinoma. J Clin Invest. 2024 Jan 30;134(8):e177082. doi: 10.1172/JCI177082. PMID: 38618958; PMCID: PMC11014655.

Schaper-Gerhardt K, Gutzmer R, Angela Y, Zimmer L, Livingstone E, Schadendorf D, Hassel JC, Weishaupt C, Remes B, Kubat L, Spassova I, Becker JC. The RANKL inhibitor denosumab in combination with dual checkpoint inhibition is associated with increased CXCL-13 serum concentrations. Eur J Cancer. 2024 May;202:113984. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.113984. Epub 2024 Mar 2. PMID: 38479119.

Horny K, Sproll C, Peiffer L, Furtmann F, Gerhardt P, Gravemeyer J, Stoecklein NH, Spassova I, Becker JC. Mesenchymal-epithelial transition in lymph node metastases of oral squamous cell carcinoma is accompanied by ZEB1 expression. J Transl Med. 2023 Apr 19;21(1):267. doi: 10.1186/s12967-023-04102-w. Erratum in: J Transl Med. 2024 Mar 14;22(1):277. doi: 10.1186/s12967-024-04998-y. PMID: 37076857; PMCID: PMC10114373.

Fan K, Srinivas N, Kubat L, Gravemeyer J, Sucker A, Schadendorf D, Gambichler T, Becker JC. B-cell lymphoma-extra large is a promising drug target in Merkel cell carcinoma. Br J Dermatol. 2023 Jul 7;189(1):103-113. doi: 10.1093/bjd/ljad099. PMID: 36991156.

Peiffer L, Gambichler T, Buus TB, Horny K, Gravemeyer J, Furtmann F, Spassova I, Kubat L, Susok L, Stranzenbach R, Srinivas N, Ødum N, Becker JC. Phenotypic plasticity of malignant T cells in blood and skin of a Sézary syndrome patient revealed by single cell transcriptomics. Front Oncol. 2023 Jan 25;13:1090592. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1090592. PMID: 36761972; PMCID: PMC9905421.

Livingstone E, Zimmer L, Hassel JC, Fluck M, Eigentler TK, Loquai C, Haferkamp S, Gutzmer R, Meier F, Mohr P, Hauschild A, Schilling B, Menzer C, Kiecker F, Dippel E, Roesch A, Ziemer M, Conrad B, Körner S, Windemuth-Kieselbach C, Schwarz L, Garbe C, Becker JC, Schadendorf D; Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group. Adjuvant nivolumab plus ipilimumab or nivolumab alone versus placebo in patients with resected stage IV melanoma with no evidence of disease (IMMUNED): final results of a randomised, double-blind, phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2022 Oct 1;400(10358):1117-1129. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01654-3. Epub 2022 Sep 10. PMID: 36099927.

Spassova I, Ugurel S, Kubat L, Zimmer L, Terheyden P, Mohr A, Björn Andtback H, Villabona L, Leiter U, Eigentler T, Loquai C, Hassel JC, Gambichler T, Haferkamp S, Mohr P, Pfoehler C, Heinzerling L, Gutzmer R, Utikal JS, Horny K, Schildhaus HU, Habermann D, Hoffmann D, Schadendorf D, Becker JC. Clinical and molecular characteristics associated with response to therapeutic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition in advanced Merkel cell carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer. 2022 Jan;10(1):e003198. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003198. PMID: 35074902; PMCID: PMC8788332.

Gravemeyer J, Spassova I, Verhaegen ME, Dlugosz AA, Hoffmann D, Lange A, Becker JC. DNA-methylation patterns imply a common cellular origin of virus- and UV-associated Merkel cell carcinoma. Oncogene. 2022 Jan;41(1):37-45. doi: 10.1038/s41388-021-02064-1. Epub 2021 Oct 19. PMID: 34667274; PMCID: PMC8724008.