Molecular Gynecology

The lab of Dr. Jochen Maurer focuses on the cell of origin and the malignant progression of different types of cancer (ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer) but in particular on breast cancer. The group isolates and characterizes cancer stem cells (CSCs) from these tumors and investigates molecular mechanisms of self-renewal and differentiation as well as invasion and metastasis. The aim is to use cancer stem cells from patient tissue to understand their biology and identify new treatment options targeted at the driver of a given tumor. Therefore the lab uses molecular and genetic in vitro approaches, cell models and animal transplantation, as well as human tumor material and patients' data. Furthermore the lab investigates markers for cancer like miRNA profiles in patient urine for diagnostic use.