NCT Research

CCRP Skin

Expertise

The NCT Melanoma Program sees more than 200 newly diagnosed and 2500 follow-up melanoma patients each year and is a leading referral center for histopathology. The clinical trials program ranges from phase I to IV (Flaherty N Engl J Med 2012). In collaboration, the program engages in basic and translational research (Meyer Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011; Sevko J Immunol 2013; Sevko J Invest Dermatol and Development 2013; Schäkel Blood 2013) and participates in PPGs (SFB 938 Human Immunology), EU grants (Targeted Therapy) and the Helmholtz Alliance for Immunotherapy.

CCRP Skin
 

Scientific Goals

  • Systematic characterization of tumor-host immune interactions in malignant melanoma.
  • Phase I/II studies using diverse immunotherapy (Mahnke J Immunol 2005).
  • Translational research on biomarkers for treatment response and treatment side effects.
  • Develop oncolytic virus vaccine for melanoma (Nettelbeck J Invest Dermatol 2013).

5 most significant publications

  1. Flaherty KT, Robert C, Hersey P, Nathan P, Garbe C, Milhem M, Demidov LV, Hassel JC, Rutkowski P, Mohr P, Dummer R, Trefzer U, Larkin JM, Utikal J  , Dreno B, Nyakas M, Middleton MR, Becker JC, Casey M, Sherman LJ, Wu FS, Ouellet D, Martin AM, Patel K, Schadendorf D; METRIC Study Group. Improved survival with MEK inhibition in BRAF-mutated melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2012 Jul 12;367(2):107-14
  2. Meyer C, Sevko A, Ramacher M, Bazhin AV, Falk CS, Osen W, Borrello I, Kato M, Schadendorf D, Baniyash M, Umansky V. Chronic inflammation promotes myeloid-derived suppressor cell activation blocking antitumor immunity in transgenic mouse melanoma model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Oct 11;108(41):17111-6.
  3. Sevko A, Michels T, Vrohlings M, Umansky L, Beckhove P, Kato M, Shurin GV, Shurin MR, Umansky V. Antitumor effect of paclitaxel is mediated by inhibition of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and chronic inflammation in the spontaneous melanoma model. J Immunol. 2013 Mar 1;190(5):2464-71
  4. Sevko A, Sade-Feldman M, Kanterman J, Michels T, Falk CS, Umansky L, Ramacher M, Kato M, Schadendorf D, Baniyash M, Umansky V. Cyclophosphamide promotes chronic inflammation-dependent immunosuppression and prevents antitumor response in melanoma. J Invest Dermatol. 2013 Jun;133(6):1610-9
  5. Hirata A*, Utikal J*, Yamashita S, Aoki H, Watanabe A, Yamamoto T, Okano H, Bardeesy N, Kunisada T, Ushijima T, Hara A, Jaenisch R, Hochedlinger K, Yamada Y. Dose-dependent roles for canonical Wnt signalling in de novo crypt formation and cell cycle properties of the colonic epithelium. Development. 2013 Jan 1;140(1):66-75. (*contributed equally