2026

Small-cell lung cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. Tissue samples are rare, making realistic mouse models indispensable. Researchers led by Thorsten Stiewe at Philipps University of Marburg have developed a model in which CRISPR gene-editing technology switches off individual genes directly in the lung, thereby generating tumours. A fluorescent signal in the blood makes them detectable: just a few drops are enough to track their growth – month after month, without the burden of anaesthesia. Gene by gene, it becomes clear which natural brakes must fail and where new therapies can be targeted. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation funded the project with €154,280.

Whether a tumour is particularly aggressive often determines the correct treatment – until now, this could usually only be determined by means of an invasive tissue sample. A research team led by Prof. Dr Jan Peeken and Johannes Kiechle at the University Medical Centre of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now developed an AI method designed to answer this question directly using CT and MRI scans. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation funded the project with around 181,000 euros. The results have now been published in the journal *Medical Image Analysis*.

In the second quarter of 2026, the Wilhelm Sander Foundation approved funding for six research projects totalling 1,020,184 euros. These range from the molecular regulation of treatment resistance, through the classification of rare TP53 variants, to new immunotherapies for breast, liver and lung cancer. Funding is being provided for projects that fundamentally elucidate the mechanisms of tumour development and derive therapeutic approaches from them.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men worldwide. However, in the case of advanced, metastatic tumours, there is often a lack of precise tools for planning individualised radiotherapy treatments. A research team led by Dr Constantin Mamat from the Institute for Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research at the Helmholtz Centre Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has now tested a novel diagnostic approach that combines two imaging techniques and could pave the way for highly personalised radiotherapy. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation funded the study with 166,000 euros. The results were published in the *Journal of Medicinal Chemistry*.

Die Wilhelm Sander-Stiftung bringt mit WILHELM ein eigenes Magazin heraus, das künftig einmal jährlich erscheint. Den Auftakt macht die Jubiläumsausgabe zum 50-jährigen Bestehen der Stiftung.

Which research projects are given a chance? And why? This is the question the Wilhelm Sander Foundation has been asking itself since its foundation 50 years ago. The independent foundation, headquartered in Neustadt an der Donau with offices in Munich and Leverkusen, supports cutting-edge medical research with a particular focus on cancer research in Germany and Switzerland. The foundation was established from the estate of the Franconian entrepreneur Wilhelm Sander. Since 1975, the foundation has provided around 350 million euros in funding for 2,700 research projects. On 19 June 2026, the foundation will celebrate its anniversary in the auditorium of the Deutsches Museum in Munich. Its sights are firmly set on the future of research funding.

Glioblastomas are highly aggressive brain tumours and are resistant to both conventional and targeted therapeutic interventions. Immune evasion is pronounced in glioblastomas, which complicates immunotherapy for most patients. Interferon-γ is a messenger substance used by immune cells to inhibit and kill cancer cells. Researchers led by Claudio Giachino from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel now have evidence that the activity of the Notch signalling pathway makes certain subtypes of glioblastoma more sensitive to interferon. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation supported the project with approximately €165,000.

The Bavarian Academy of Sciences (BAdW) and the Wilhelm Sander Foundation are launching their collaboration with an international scientific symposium in March 2027 on the topics of immuno-oncology and ferroptosis. The event marks the start of enhanced cooperation in the field of science communication – with the aim of jointly strengthening the visibility and societal impact of medical research, particularly cancer research.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (iCCAs) are among the most aggressive forms of cancer worldwide. Despite advances in systemic therapy, treatment options remain limited, which is why new strategies are urgently needed. A study led by Prof. Dr Jens Marquardt at the UKSH in Lübeck has now shown that the activation of PARP-1 plays a key role in KRAS-mutated iCCAs – a mutation associated with a particularly poor prognosis. Targeted inhibition of PARP-1 significantly reduced tumour growth in preclinical models. These findings open up new avenues for personalised therapies. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation supported the project with €180,000.

Cellular and immunotherapies are currently either ineffective or only partially effective in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Researchers at LMU Munich had discovered that this is due, amongst other things, to a specific signalling molecule, prostaglandin, which is released by both cancer cells and their surrounding environment. With funding of 177,000 euros from the Wilhelm Sander Foundation, Sebastian Kobold’s research group has now developed a potential strategy for selectively switching off this signalling pathway. Using gene scissors, the scientists have now been able to block the effect of prostaglandins in cellular therapies, which could potentially make immunotherapies feasible for this disease as well.