Experimental Head and Neck Oncology 

Overview

In the past, the research program of the Experimental Head and Neck Oncology group focused on the identification of novel biomarkers to improve prognosis and therapeutic decision-making for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Moreover, the group applied functional genomics on samples of genetically modified cell culture and mouse tumor models to systematically elucidate the topological characteristics of signaling pathways and transcription factor networks in cancer and to predict key nodes for translational cancer research. The analysis of tissue microarrays with a comprehensive set of human tumor samples served as an important tool to confirm aberrant expression of putative molecular biomarkers and cellular targets for anticancer therapy that were highlighted by proteomic or genomic studies.

Major challenges for the future are: (i) studies on the role of human papilloma virus infection, chronic inflammation, and metabolic disorders during pathogenesis and therapy of HNSCC; (ii) the identification of putative drug targets for locoregional control and anti-metastatic therapy of HNSCC; and (iii) the establishment of mouse tumor models as preclinical model systems for HNSCC to prove novel concepts of cancer prevention and therapy. Finally, the group will continue with projects that aim to establish and improve alternative therapeutic strategies, such as virus-based anticancer technology and screening of novel anticancer drugs from natural and pharmaceutical compound libraries.

Significant accomplishments of the past 5 years

The Experimental Head and Neck Oncology group has:

• focused on the establishment of preclinical mouse tumor models for the identification of putative drug targets and development of innovative strategies for locoregional control and anti-metastatic therapy of HNSCC (Int J Oncol 2010, 36:849-55).
• established in vivo model system to study the tumor-promoting activity of chronic inflammation resulting in information on the role of S100-RAGE signaling in the establishment of a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment (J Exp Med 2008, 205:275-85; Hepatology 2009, 50:1251-62).
• coordinated the initiative “Excellence Cluster Head and Neck Oncology”, funded by the Dietmar Hopp Foundation, which represents a joint research program of the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and DKFZ. Moreover, Jochen Heß is principle investigator for several projects funded by the National Genome Research Network (NGFN-Plus) program of the BMBF, the Systems Biology in Cancer program of the Helmholtz Alliance, and the SFB-TRR77.

5 most significant publications of the past 5 years

Gebhardt C, Riehl A, Durchdewald M, Nemeth J, Furstenberger G, Muller-Decker K, Enk A, Arnold B, Bierhaus A, Nawroth PP, Hess J, Angel P: RAGE signaling sustains inflammation and promotes tumor development. J Exp Med 2008, 205:275-85

Nemeth J, Stein I, Haag D, Riehl A, Longerich T, Horwitz E, Breuhahn K, Gebhardt C, Schirmacher P, Hahn M, Ben-Neriah Y, Pikarsky E, Angel P, Hess J: S100A8 and S100A9 are novel nuclear factor kappa B target genes during malignant progression of murine and human liver carcinogenesis. Hepatology 2009, 50:1251-62

Behren A, Kamenisch Y, Muehlen S, Flechtenmacher C, Haberkorn U, Hilber H, Myers JN, Bergmann Z, Plinkert PK, Simon C: Development of an oral cancer recurrence mouse model after surgical resection. Int J Oncol 2010 36:849-55

Behren A, Mühlen S, Sanhueza GA, Schwager C, Plinkert PK, Huber PE, Abdollahi A, Simon C: Phenotype-assisted transcriptome analysis identifies FOXM1 downstream from Ras-MKK3-p38 to regulate in vitro cellular invasion. Oncogene 2010, 29:1519-30

Roesch-Ely M, Leipold A, Nees M, Holzinger D, Dietz A, Flechtenmacher V, Wolf T, Zapatka M, Bosch FX: Proteomic analysis of field cancerization in pharynx and oesophagus: a prospective pilot study. J Pathol 2010, 221:462-70

Contact

PD Dr. Jochen Heß
Heidelberg University Hospital
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
Im Neuenheimer Feld 400
69120 Heidelberg

Tel: +49 (0) 6221 56 6732
Fax: +49 (0) 6221 56 4604
Email: Jochen.Hess@med.uni-heidelberg.de

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