AG Prof. Dr. Dr. Her­mann

Stem Cells & Can­cer Max Eder Rese­arch Group

Can­cer stem cells (CSCs), also known as tumor-​initiating cells, are a dis­tinct sub­set of cells within a tumor that share fea­tures with stem cells. We have demons­tra­ted pre­viously that these cells play an out­stan­ding role in the mali­gnant pro­gres­sion, che­mo­re­sis­tance, metasta­sis, and relapse of solid tumors.
In the Stem Cells & Can­cer Group, we study CSCs in gastro­in­te­sti­nal tumors, pri­ma­rily in pan­crea­tic duc­tal ade­no­c­ar­ci­noma (PDAC). The lab has a strong focus on basic rese­arch, using gene­ti­cally engi­nee­red mouse models of pan­crea­tic can­cer as well as pri­mary human pati­ent tis­sues and cells. Fur­ther­more we put strong empha­sis on trans­la­ting basic rese­arch results into a cli­ni­cal set­ting, loo­king into scree­ning and early detec­tion methods for pan­crea­tic neo­pla­sias.

We are spe­ci­fi­cally inte­res­ted in:

  • the iden­ti­fi­ca­tion and cha­rac­te­riza­tion of new bio­mar­kers for the detec­tion of CSCs
  •  the iden­ti­fi­ca­tion and regu­la­tion of pro­te­ins and signa­ling pathways that govern key CSC phe­no­ty­pes, such as stem­ness, epi­the­lial to mesen­chy­mal tran­si­tion (EMT), metasta­sis, and che­mo­re­sis­tance.
  • a deeper under­stan­ding of CSC-​specific fea­tures to deve­lop new tar­ge­ted the­ra­pies against pan­crea­tic can­cer
  •  mecha­nisms of metasta­sis and the­rapy resis­tance

Staff

Prin­ciple Inves­ti­ga­tor

  • Profilbild von Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Patrick C. Hermann

    Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Patrick C. Her­mann

    Ober­arzt, Fach­arzt für Innere Medi­zin und Gas­tro­en­te­ro­lo­gie, medi­ka­men­töse Tumor­the­ra­pie

Stu­dents

Tabea Dittrich

Ste­fa­nie Hauff, M.Sc.

 

Tech­ni­cal Staff

Andrea Wiß­mann, BTA

Alumni

Anton Lahu­sen

Selina Mader

Eva Rodriguez-​Aznar

Kanishka Tiwary

Ari­jan Valar

Karo­lin Wal­ter

Fun­ding

2018 – 2020: „Tar­ge­ting Plasti­city in Pan­crea­tic Duc­tal Ade­no­C­ar­ci­noma (PiPaC)”, Ger­man Can­cer Aid

2017 - 2021: SFB 1279 "Exploi­ting the Human Pep­ti­dome for Novel Anti­mi­cro­bial and Antican­cer Agents", Ger­man Rese­arch Coun­cil DFG

2015 – 2020: “Cir­cu­la­ting tumor cells in EMT and metasta­sis” Max Eder Fel­low­ship, Ger­man Can­cer Aid

2017 – 2020: “Hete­ro­gen­eity in solid tumors (HEIST), Ger­man Rese­arch Coun­cil DFG

2014 – 2017: “Tumo­rige­ne­sis and stem cells” Hec­tor Founda­tion

2014 – 2016: “Bau­stein­pro­gramm” Ulm Uni­ver­sity

Awards

2021          Abs­tract Award of the Ger­man Society of Gas­tro­en­te­ro­logy (to K. Wal­ter)

2020          Pos­ter Award of the Ger­man Pan­creas Club (to K. Tiwary)

2019          Pos­ter Award of the Southwest Ger­man Society for Gas­tro­en­te­ro­logy

2014          Pos­ter Award of the Southwest Ger­man Society for Gas­tro­en­te­ro­logy

2012          Hec­tor Rese­arch Award Onco­logy

2011          Spe­cial Men­tion for Best Young Inves­ti­ga­tor Papers – Stem Cells

2008          Adolf Kuß­maul Award of the Southwest Ger­man Society for Gas­tro­en­te­ro­logy

Key Publi­ca­ti­ons

Click here for com­plete publi­ca­tion list.

  • Arnold F, Mahad­dal­kar PU, Berg­mann W, Gout J, Illing A, Roger E, Thara­halli U, Kraus JM, Rus­sell R, Daiss N., Perk­ho­fer L, Hoh­wie­ler M, Hel­ler S, Azoi­tei N, Frap­part PO, Katz SF, Lechel A, Seuf­fer­lein T, Kest­ler HA, Rudolph KL, Her­mann PC *, Kle­ger A *. Func­tio­nal geno­mic scree­ning during soma­tic cell repro­gramming iden­ti­fies Dkk3 as a road­block of organ rege­ne­ra­tion. (* sha­red last authorship). Adv Sci (Weinh). 2021 May 13;8(14):2100626.

  • Breu­nig M, Merkle J, Wag­ner M, Mel­zer MK, Barth TFE, Engleit­ner T, Krumm J, Wie­den­mann S, Cohrs C, Perk­ho­fer L, Jain G, Krü­ger J, Her­mann PC, Schmid M, Madácsy T, Gri­ger J, Mül­ler M, Wes­sely O, Robey P, Hel­ler S, Dan­tes Z, Rei­chert M, Günes C, Bolenz C4, Kuhn F, Maléth J, Speier S, Lie­bau S, Sipos B, Küs­ter B, Seuf­fer­lein T, Rad R, Meier M, Hoh­wie­ler M, Kle­ger A. Model­ling Plasti­city and Dys­pla­sia of Pan­crea­tic Duc­tal Orga­no­ids Deri­ved from Human Plu­ri­po­tent Stem Cells. Cell Stem Cell. Cell Stem Cell. 2021 Jun 3;28(6):1105-1124.e19.

  • Wal­ter K, Rodriguez-​Aznar E, Frap­part PO, Ven­tura Fer­reira MS, Tiwary K, Mees­sen S, Daiss N, Schulte LA, Arnold F, Usa­chov V, Seuf­fer­lein T, Kle­ger A, Günes C, Beier FJ, Sainz B Jr, Her­mann PC. Telo­me­rase and Plu­ri­po­tency Fac­tors Jointly Regu­late Stem­ness in Pan­crea­tic Can­cer Stem Cells. Can­cers (Basel). 2021 Jun 23;13(13):3145.

  • Valle S, Alcalá S, Martin-​Hijano L, Cabezas-​Sainz P, Navarro D, Ramos Muñoz E, Yuste L, Tiwary K, Wal­ter K, Ruiz-​Cañas L, Alonso-​Nocelo M, Rubiolo JA, González-​Arnay E, Garcia-​Bermejo L, Her­mann PC, Sánchez L, San­cho P, Fernández-​Moreno MA, Sainz B Jr. Exploi­ting Oxi­da­tive Phos­pho­ry­la­tion to Pro­mote the Stem and Immu­n­o­eva­sive Pro­per­ties of Pan­crea­tic Can­cer Stem Cells.Nat Com­mun. 2020 Oct 16;11(1):5265. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18954-z.

  • Ettrich TJ, Perk­ho­fer L, Decker T, Hofheinz RD, Hei­ne­mann V, Hoff­mann T, Hebart HF, Herr­mann T, Han­nig CV, Büchner-​Steudel P, Güt­hle M, Her­mann PC, Ber­ger AW, Seuf­fer­lein T. Nin­te­da­nib plus mFOL­FOX6 as second-​line treat­ment of meta­sta­tic, che­mo­re­frac­tory colo­rec­tal can­cer: the ran­do­mi­zed, placebo-​controlled, phase II TRICC-​C study (AIO-​KRK-0111). Int J Can­cer. 2020 Sep 15.

  • Gout J, Perk­ho­fer L, Morawe M, Arnold F, Ihle M, Biber S, Lange S, Roger E, Kraus JM, Stif­ter K, Hahn S, Zam­pe­rone A, Engleit­ner T, Mül­ler M, Rodriguez-​Aznar E, Sainz B Jr, Her­mann PC, Hess­mann E, Mül­ler S, Azoi­tei N, Schirm­beck R, Lechel A, Lie­bau S, Wag­ner M, Simeone D, Kest­ler HA, Seuf­fer­lein T, Wies­mül­ler L, Rad R, Frap­part PO, Kle­ger A. Syn­er­gi­stic tar­ge­ting and resis­tance to PARP inhi­bi­tion in DNA damage repair-​deficient pan­crea­tic can­cer. Gut. 2020 Sep 1.

  • Alcala S, San­cho P, Mar­ti­nelli P, Navarro D, Per­dero C, Martin-​Hijano L, Valle S, Earl J, Rodriguez-​Serrano M, Ruiz Cañas L, Rojas K, Car­rato A, Garcia-​Bermejo L, Fernández-​Moreno MA, Her­mann PC, Sainz B Jr. ISG15 and ISGy­la­tion is requi­red for pan­crea­tic can­cer stem cell mitophagy and meta­bo­lic plasti­city. Nat Com­mun. 2020 May 29;11(1):2682.

  • Frap­part PO *, Wal­ter K *, Gout J, Beu­tel AK, Morawe M, Arnold F, Breu­nig M, Barth TF, Mari­en­feld R, Schulte L, Ettrich T, Hackert T, Svin­a­renko M, Rös­ler R, Wiese S, Wiese H, Perk­ho­fer L, Mül­ler M, Lechel A, Sainz B Jr., Her­mann PC, Seuf­fer­lein T *, Kle­ger A *. Pan­crea­tic cancer-​derived orga­no­ids – a disease mode­ling tool to pre­dict drug response. United European Gas­tro­en­te­rol J, 2020 Feb 19:2050640620905183. (* sha­red 1st & last authorship)

  • D'Errico G, Alonso-​Nocelo M, Val­lespi­nos M, Her­mann PC, Alcalá S, García CP, Martin-​Hijano L, Valle S, Earl J, Cas­siano C, Lom­bar­dia L, Feliu J, Monti MC, Seuf­fer­lein T, García-​Bermejo L, Mar­ti­nelli P, Car­rato A, Sainz B Jr. Tumor-​associated macrophage-​secreted 14-3-3ζ signals via AXL to pro­mote pan­crea­tic can­cer che­mo­re­sis­tance. Onco­gene. 2019 Jul;38(27):5469-5485

  • Wal­ter K*, Tiwary K*, Trajkovic-​Arsic M, Hidalgo-​Sastre A, Schulte LA, Seuf­fer­lein T, Sainz B Jr., Siveke JT, Rodriguez-​Aznar E, Her­mann PC. MEK inhi­bi­tion tar­gets can­cer stem cells and impe­des migra­tion of pan­crea­tic can­cer cells in vitro and in vivo. Stem Cells Int. 2019 Jun 2;2019:8475389
  • Her­mann PC, Sainz B Jr. Pan­crea­tic Can­cer Stem Cells: A State or an Entity? Semin Can­cer Biol. 2018 Dec;53:223-231.

  • Ber­ger AW, Schwer­del D, Costa IG, Hackert T, Stro­bel O, Lam S, Barth TF, Schröp­pel B, Mei­ning A, Büch­ler MW, Zenke M, Her­mann PC, Seuf­fer­leinT *, Kle­ger A *.Detec­tion of Hot-​Spot Muta­ti­ons in Cir­cu­la­ting Cell-​Free DNA From Pati­ents With Intra­duc­tal Papil­lary Muci­nous Neo­plasms of the Pan­creas. Gas­tro­en­te­ro­logy. 2016 Aug;151(2):267-70.
  • Sainz B Jr, Alcala S, Gar­cia E, Sanchez-​Ripoll Y, Aze­vedo MM, Cioffi M, Tatari M, Miranda-​Lorenzo I, Hidalgo M, Gomez-​Lopez G, Cañamero M, Erkan M, Kleeff J, García-​Silva S, San­cho P, Her­mann PC, Heeschen C. Micro­en­vi­ron­men­tal hCAP-18/LL-37 pro­mo­tes pan­crea­tic duc­tal ade­no­c­ar­ci­noma by acti­vating its can­cer stem cell com­part­ment. Gut. 2015 Dec;64(12):1921-35.
  • Her­mann PC, San­cho P, Cana­mero M, Mar­ti­nelli P, Madri­les F, Michl P, Gress T, de Pascual R, Gan­dia L, Guerra MC, Bar­ba­cid M, Wag­ner M, Vieira C, Aicher A, Real FX, Sainz BJ, Heeschen C. Nico­tine Pro­mo­tes Initia­tion and Pro­gres­sion of KRAS-​induced Pan­crea­tic Can­cer via Gata6-​dependent Dedif­fe­ren­tia­tion of Aci­nar Cells in Mice. Gas­tro­en­te­ro­logy. 2014 Nov;147(5):1119-33.e4.
  • Her­mann PC, Heeschen C. Meta­sta­tic can­cer stem cells – Quo vadis? Clin Chem. 2013 Aug;59(8):1268-9.
  • Lonardo E, Her­mann PC, Muel­ler MT, Huber S, Balic A, Miranda I, Zagorac S, Alcala S, Rodri­guez I, Rami­rez JC, Tor­res R, Gar­cia E, Hidalgo M, Cebrian DA, Heu­chel R, Löhr M, Ber­ger F, Bar­ten­stein P, Aicher A, Heeschen C. Nodal/Acti­vin Signa­ling Dri­ves Self-​Renewal and Tumo­ri­ge­ni­city of Pan­crea­tic Can­cer Stem Cells and Pro­vi­des a Tar­get for Com­bi­ned Drug The­rapy. Cell Stem Cell2011 Nov 4; 9(5): 433-446. 
  • Gall­meier E *, Her­mann PC *, Muel­ler MT, Mach­ado JG, Ziesch A, De Toni EN, Pala­gyi A, Eisen C, Ell­wart JW, Rivera J, Rubio-​Viqueira B, Hidalgo M, Bunz F, Göke B, Heeschen C. Inhi­bi­tion of ata­xia telangiectasia-​ and Rad3-​related func­tion abro­ga­tes the in vitro and in vivo tumo­ri­ge­ni­city of human colon can­cer cells through deple­tion of the CD133(+) tumor-​initiating cell frac­tion. Stem Cells. 2011 Mar;29(3):418-29. (* sha­red authorship)
  • Her­mann PC, Bhas­kar S, Cioffi M, Heeschen C. Can­cer stem cells in solid tumors. Semin Can­cer Biol. 2010 Apr;20(2):77-84.
  • Muel­ler MT, Her­mann PC, Huber SL, Leicht SF, Wit­tauer J, Mus­tafa M, Bar­ten­stein P, Ber­ger F, Ell­wart JW, D’Haese JG, Schoen­berg MH, Jauch KW, Hidalgo M, Heeschen C. Com­bi­ned tar­ge­ted treat­ment to eli­mi­nate tumo­ri­ge­nic can­cer stem cells in human pan­crea­tic can­cer.  Gas­tro­en­te­ro­logy. 2009 Sep; 137(3): 1102-13.
  • Her­mann PC, Huber SL, Herr­ler T, Aicher A, Ell­wart JW, Guba M, Bruns CJ, Heeschen C. Dis­tinct popu­la­ti­ons of can­cer stem cells deter­mine tumor growth and meta­sta­tic acti­vity in human pan­crea­tic can­cer.  Cell Stem Cell.  2007 Sep 13; 1(3): 313-23. 

 

Job offers

We currently offer posi­ti­ons for Mas­ter Stu­dents, a call for PhD stu­dents will be ope­ned soon. 

If you are inte­res­ted in joi­ning our group, please con­tact the PI directly under patrick.her­mann@uni-​ulm.de .