Five new genomic risk factors for uterine cancer discovered
An international study led by Dr Thilo Dörk-Bousset of Hannover Medical School has made significant progress in the early detection of cervical cancer. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation is funding the project with 220,000 euros. The study has identified five new genetic risk factors for uterine cancer. This discovery brings doctors and patients a significant step closer to the goal of more precise risk predictions and more personalised treatments.
Bone and soft-tissue cancer in children: New insights into metastasis
Ewing sarcomas are highly aggressive tumours that can develop in bone or soft tissue and mainly affect children and young people. Regulatory proteins play a key role in the spread of metastases by activating specific genetic networks. Some of these key proteins could be used to predict the course of the disease in patients, as shown by a recent study by the Hopp Children’s Tumour Centre Heidelberg (KiTZ), the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU). The research project was funded by the Wilhelm Sander Foundation.
Colorectal cancer research: High blood pressure medication as a new treatment option
An international team of scientists led by Dr Dominic Bernkopf from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) has unravelled a mechanism that enables active substances originally developed to treat high blood pressure to be used specifically to combat bowel cancer. In preclinical studies, this innovative approach significantly inhibited the growth of bowel cancer. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation funded the project with 247,000 euros.
Fatty liver and hepatocellular carcinoma: Researchers discover a protein that drives these diseases
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common liver condition worldwide. If left untreated, it can lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Researchers led by Ralf Weiskirchen and Anastasia Asimakopoulos from the Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry at RWTH Aachen University Hospital have investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms and discovered a protein that drives the development of fatty liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. These findings may lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating fatty liver disease and its associated complications. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation has funded the project with €140,000.