UKE Homepage
DE
/2024-relaunch/bilder/ucc-hamburg-forschungsschwerpunkte-3360x1200_st_plus_slider_1680_600.jpg)
/2024-relaunch/logo/logo_ucc_hamburg.svg){kind=logo}
Research Programs
Stronger Together in Cancer Research
We collaborate in various research networks and projects to advance the best possible medicine against cancer.
/2024-relaunch/bilder/labor-forschung-objekttr%C3%A4ger_st_plus_768x1.jpg)
The University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCC Hamburg) has established interdisciplinary research programs that focus on specific cancer entities on the one hand and on cross-entity issues relating to tumorigenesis, diagnostics, and therapy on the other. These research programs bring together physicians and scientists with different areas of expertise and experience from the individual UCC Hamburg clinics and research departments and, through synergy effects, promote the development of new ideas and the initiation and accelerated implementation of research projects. The programs are usually coordinated by a team consisting of a more clinically-oriented program member and a more research-oriented program member.
In addition to projects in experimental, translational and health care research, numerous clinical trials are conducted:
Our Research Programs
Prostate Cancer
This program plays a leading role in the
Please visit the website of the Hamburg Prostate Cancer Consortium (HPCC) for details on the individual research projects.
Coordination:
Prof. Dr. Guido Sauter
Prof. Dr. Derya Tilki
- PD Dr. Dr. Thorsten Frenzel
Outpatient Clinic, Radiotherapy - Prof. Dr. Markus Graefen
Martini Clinic - Prof. Dr. Hans Heinzer
Martini Clinic - Prof. Dr. Hartwig Huland
Martini Clinic - Prof. Dr. Wael Mansour
Laboratory for Radiobiology and Experimental Radiation Oncology - Prof. Dr. Tobias Maurer
Martini Clinic - Prof. Dr. Klaus Pantel
Institute for Tumor Biology - Prof. Dr. Kai Rothkamm
UCC Hamburg
Laboratory for Radiobiology and Experimental Radiation Oncology - Prof. Dr. Hartmut Schlüter
Institute for Clinical Chemistry - PD Dr. Ronald Simon
Institute for Pathology - Prof. Dr. Gunhild von Amsberg
Department of Hematology and Oncology
Martini Clinic
Dissemination & Metastasis incl. Liquid Biopsy
This program combines three main pillars of expertise:
- Liquid biopsy: The UCC Hamburg enjoys a unique international reputation in the development of liquid biopsy techniques and their clinical application. Complementary mechanistic research decodes the interactions between tumor and bone cells as well as immune cells in the microenvironment of bone, bone marrow, and liver. These achievements led to the founding of the European Liquid Biopsy Society (ELBS) in 2019, initiated by the UCC Hamburg, an international center for liquid biopsies (>20 founding institutions from 13 countries).
- Oligometastatic disease: The UCC Hamburg's many years of expertise in the interdisciplinary care of patients with oligometastatic diseases, particularly with multimodal therapy concepts, is reinforced by research projects on brain metastases, stereotactic radiation therapy, and PSMA-guided surgery for prostate cancer.
- Systemic treatment: The systemic treatment of metastatic solid tumors or incurable hematolymphoid malignancies plays a crucial role in the research activities of entity-specific research programs and focuses in particular on personalized medicine using novel treatment concepts such as cellular therapy, immunotherapy, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors in clinical trials. Of particular strategic importance for the further strengthening of the program is the establishment of the MSNZ (Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Center), a multidisciplinary research center funded by the DKH (German Cancer Aid), which supports scientific career paths and translational research by promoting partnerships between medical and clinical scientists. In addition, the program's activities led to a leading participation in the DFG priority program μBONE (6 UCC Hamburg projects) in collaboration with Lübeck, Dresden, and Würzburg, which aims to investigate the interaction of disseminated tumor cells with the stroma of the bone marrow.
Coordination:
Prof. Dr. Klaus Pantel
Prof. Dr. Christoffer Gebhardt
- Prof. Dr. Michael Amling
Institute for Osteology and Biomechanics - Dr. Volker Aßmann
Institute for Tumor Biology - Prof. Dr. Carsten Bokemeyer
UCC Hamburg
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Björn Busse
Institute for Osteology and Biomechanics - Janik Engelmann
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Boris Fehse
Interdisciplinary Department of Stem Cell Transplantation - Prof. Dr. Walter Fiedler
Department of Oncology and Hematology - PD Dr. Dr. Thorsten Frenzel
Outpatient Clinic, Radiotherapy - Prof. Dr. Nicola Gagliani
Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery - Dr. Dr. Anastasios Giannou
Department of Gastroenterology - PD Dr. Katharina Harms-Effenberger
Institute for Tumor Biology - Prof. Dr. Samuel Huber
Department of Gastroenterology - PD Dr. Simon Joosse
Institute for Tumor Biology - Prof. Dr. Katrin Lamszus
Department of Neurosurgery - Prof. Dr. Tobias Maurer
Martini Clinic - Prof. Dr. Volkmar Müller
Department of Gynecology - Prof. Dr. Leticia Oliveira-Ferrer
Department of Gynecology - Prof. Dr. Cordula Petersen
Department of Radiotherapy - Prof. Dr. Sabine Riethdorf
Institute for Tumor Biology - Prof. Dr. Stefan Rutkowski
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - Prof. Dr. Meike Saul
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Thorsten Schinke
Institute for Osteology and Biomechanics - Prof. Dr. Barbara Schmalfeldt
Department of Gynecology - Prof. Dr. Stefan Schneider
Department of Dermatology and Venereology - Prof. Dr. Katja Weisel
UCC Hamburg
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Dr. Stefan Werner
Institute for Tumor Biology - Prof. Dr. Harriet Wikman
Institute for Tumor Biology
Hematology & Cellular Therapy
As part of this program, two findings from basic research were directly transferred to phase I trials for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia using the Axl inhibitor bemcentinib and mebendazole, a potent inhibitor of the SHH-GLI signaling pathway.
As part of the cellular therapy program, an HIV gene construct for the gene therapy of HIV-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was developed and translated in an IIT study. The newly implemented myeloma program is complemented by IIT-correlative studies on immune profiling and basic research on the myeloma microenvironment, as well as the development of innovative bi- and trispecific nanobodies.
Coordination:
Prof. Dr. Boris Fehse
Prof. Dr. Walter Fiedler
PD Dr. Jasmin Wellbrock
- Prof. Dr. Peter Bannas
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology - Dr. Lena Behrmann
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - Prof. Dr. Dr. Judith Dierlamm
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Gabriele Escherich
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - Prof. Dr. Martin Horstmann
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg - Prof. Dr. Manfred Jücker
Institute for Biochemistry and Signal Transduction - Dr. Fabian Knörr
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - Dr. Lisa Leypoldt
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Ingo Müller
Interdisciplinary Department of Stem Cell Transplantation
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg - Dr. Peter Nollau
Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg - Prof. Dr. Friedrich Nolte
Institute for Immunology - Prof. Dr. Gunhild von Amsberg
Department of Oncology and Hematology
Martini Clinic - Prof. Dr. Katja Weisel
UCC Hamburg
Department of Oncology and Hematology
Neuro-Oncology
This program focuses on malignant pediatric brain tumors and gliomas in adults and is led by the Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, the Institute for Neuropathology, and the Department of Neurosurgery. It encompasses basic research with innovative preclinical model design to identify spatiotemporal tumor origins and novel therapeutic targets, research activities in the tumor microenvironment aimed at understanding and exploiting tumor metabolism and immunomodulation, novel diagnostic approaches, including DNA methylation-based tumor classification and liquid biopsy, and large, practice-changing UCC Hamburg-led clinical trials, in particular the pediatric HIT study group.
Coordination:
Prof. Dr. Katrin Lamszus
- Prof. Dr. Michael Bockmayr
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - Prof. Dr. Markus Glatzel
Institute for Neuropathology - Dr. Cécile Maire
Department of Neurosurgery - PD Dr. Malte Mohme
Department of Neurosurgery - PD Dr. Martin Mynarek
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - Prof. Dr. Julia Neumann
Institute for Neuropathology
ZMNH - PD Dr. Franz Ricklefs
Department of Neurosurgery - Prof. Dr. Stefan Rutkowski
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology - Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schüller
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Research Institute Children's Cancer Center Hamburg - Dr. Nina Struve
Laboratory for Radiobiology and Experimental Radiation Oncology
Psycho-Oncology
The UCC Hamburg enjoys an international reputation in psycho-oncology and palliative medicine. Over the past five years, major research projects on psychosocial outcomes have been completed (e.g., Electronic Screening for Psychosocial Distress (EPAS)). Based on these studies, the UCC Hamburg conducted a nationwide analysis of psycho-oncological care needs and provision (PsoViD) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health, as well as a prospective evaluation of the cancer counseling centers of the HKG (Hamburg Cancer Society) (HKG-EVA).
Recently, projects involving modern information systems and social media have been completed, e.g., an e-health study that examined how outpatients with prostate cancer accept web-based psychosocial aftercare. The UCC Hamburg has also started research funded by the BMFTR (Federal Ministry of Research,Technology and Space) and the DKH (German Cancer Aid) on the impact of self-help groups and their experiences in healthcare. Another recently completed study focused on the benefits of specific rehabilitation measures for cancer survivors. Overall, the UCC Hamburg has established a strong research focus on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in routine clinical practice.
Since early 2018, PREPARED, a complex program funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation) to promote shared decision making (SDM) as a key element of patient-centered care, has been implemented in several UCC Hamburg clinics. One goal of this project is to expand the SDM implementation program to all UCC Hamburg clinics and to supplement it with additional learning strategies. This involves i) developing, implementing, and validating decision aids for cancer treatment, ii) establishing a patient-reported experience measure (PREM) to evaluate patient-centeredness in routine cancer care, and iii) enabling “patient letters,” i.e., the automated translation of discharge letters into lay language using machine learning.
Coordinators:
Prof. Dr. Isabelle Scholl
- Prof. Dr. Dr. Martin Härter
Department of Medical Psychology - Dr. Christopher Kofahl
Institute for Medical Sociology - Prof. Dr. Karin Oechsle
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Holger Schulz
Department of Medical Psychology - PD Dr. Alexander Stein
Hämatologisch-onkologische Praxis Eppendorf - PD Dr. Sigrun Vehling
Department of Medical Psychology - Prof. Dr. Olaf von dem Knesebeck
Institute for Medical Sociology
Head & Neck Cancer
This program focuses on identifying and targeting dysregulated kinase signaling pathways, e.g., identifying an EGFR polymorphism that induces resistance, and developing ex vivo tumor slice culture assays to predict response to treatment. Other areas of focus include in-depth analysis of HPV-HNSCC tumor/radiation biology (squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck region), multiphoton endomicroscopy, and tissue engineering.
Coordination:
Prof. Dr. Christian Betz
- Prof. Dr. Kerstin Borgmann
Laboratory for Radiobiology and Experimental Radiation Oncology - Prof. Dr. Dr. Martin Gosau
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - PD Dr. Malte Kriegs
Laboratory for Radiobiology and Experimental Radiation Oncology - Prof. Dr. Klaus Pantel
Institute for Tumor Biology - PD Dr. Thorsten Rieckmann
Laboratory for Radiobiology and Experimental Radiation Oncology
Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Prof. Dr. Kai Rothkamm
UCC Hamburg
Laboratory for Radiobiology and Experimental Radiation Oncology - Prof. Dr. Guido Sauter
Institute for Pathology - Prof. Dr. Hartmut Schlüter
Institute for Clinical Chemistry
Gastrointestinal Cancer & Immuno-Oncology
A key research focus of this program is the interaction between tumors and the surrounding stroma as a novel mediator of resistance. Another important research topic is the regulation of the anti-tumor immune response in the intestine and liver. UCC Hamburg IITs investigating new (immuno)therapeutic concepts are linked to translational programs such as liquid biopsy (AVETUX-CRC, INTEGA, TARC).
Coordination:
PD Dr. Marianne Sinn
- PD Dr. Andreas Block
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Carsten Bokemeyer
UCC Hamburg
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Rickmer Braren
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology - Prof. Dr. Nicola Gagliani
Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery
Department of Gastroenterology
HCTI - Prof. Dr. Thilo Hackert
Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery - PD Dr. Katharina Harms-Effenberger
Institute for Tumor Biology - Prof. Dr. Samuel Huber
Department of Gastroenterology - Prof. Dr. Klaus Pantel
Institute for Tumor Biology - Prof. Dr. Thomas Rösch
Department of Interdisciplinary Endoscopy - Prof. Dr. Meike Saul
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Prof. Dr. Guido Sauter
Institute for Pathology - Prof. Dr. Gisa Tiegs
Institute for Experimental Immunology and Hepatology - Dr. Joseph Tintelnot
Department of Oncology and Hematology - Dr. Johann von Felden
Department of Gastroenterology
Cancer Epidemiology
The UCC Hamburg is pursuing this successful program with a focus on breast cancer risk factors and prognoses as well as psychosocial care research.
Initiated by the section for cancer epidemiology at the UCC Hamburg, the UKE is one of the study centers of the NAKO health study, the largest population-based epidemiological longitudinal study in Germany, which investigates the causes of chronic diseases such as cancer.
The UCC Hamburg has also conducted studies on the use of cancer screening programs and other healthcare services in Germany, focusing on specific population groups and migrants. Together with more than 30 UKE departments, the UCC Hamburg is participating in the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS), which aims to recruit and follow a random sample of more than 20,000 adults aged 45-74 from the city of Hamburg. This project involves the collection of biomaterial, clinical data, behavioral patterns, healthcare utilization, patient-reported outcomes, and individual knowledge on health-related topics, including cancer awareness.
In collaboration with the Institute for Occupational Medicine, a low-dose, high-resolution CT screening program was launched in a high-risk population defined by previous asbestos exposure and smoking history.
In cooperation with the Institute for Health Care Research in Dermatology and Nursing, the UCC Hamburg is conducting an ongoing evaluation of the German skin cancer screening program. The department is the scientific project manager in action areas 1 (prevention) and 2 (improvement of care) of the National Health Conference “Skin Cancer in Germany.” This project is being carried out in cooperation with the University of Lübeck.
The co-prevalence of oropharyngeal and cervical HPV infections in women with CIN2+ was investigated in a study initiated by the UCC Hamburg. In addition, the UCC Hamburg is the best recruitment site in Germany and the fifth largest worldwide in the Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance (PRIAS) project.
The population-based case-control study MARIE (Mamma Carcinoma Risk Factor Investigation), jointly initiated by the UKE and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), was successfully transformed into a cohort of postmenopausal breast cancer survivors and a cohort of age-matched controls. The results of a 10-year follow-up (MARIEplus2 project) showed for the first time the importance of physical activity during leisure time and weight control after a breast cancer diagnosis for improved survival. A further follow-up of the MARIE participants, recently funded by the BMFTR (Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space), was conducted to identify patient subgroups that would benefit most from prevention programs. Recent research at IMBE and UCC Hamburg investigated the potentially differential impact of comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease, on mortality in cases and controls. In addition, long-term cancer-related fatigue and other patient-reported outcomes were linked to behavioral factors.
Coordination:
Dr. Nadia Obi
Prof. Dr. Malte Kohns-Vasconcelos
- Prof. Dr. Matthias Augustin
Institute for Health Care Research in Dermatology and Nursing - Dr. Kathleen Gali
UCC Hamburg, Cancer Epidemiology - Prof. Dr. Volker Harth
Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine - Dr. Catarina Schlüter
UCC Hamburg, Clinical Cancer Registry - Hamburg Cancer Registry
Further Information
Do you have any questions or would you like to make an appointment? Here you will find our contact details for UCC Hamburg.
MehrThe UCC Hamburg newsletter provides information about all of the network's events and the latest developments.
MehrHelp us improve care for cancer patients. Whether as a one-time donation, standing order, or even a bequest, we appreciate every contribution.