Junior Research Group

Translational Gastrointestinal Oncology and Preclinical Models

  • DKFZ Hector Cancer Institute
  • Functional and Structural Genomics
  • Clinical Cooperation Unit
  • Junior Research Group
Employee image

apl. Prof. Dr. Johannes Betge

Group Leader

Curing advanced cancers of the digestive tract remains a major challenge. We contribute to improving the treatment of these diseases by gaining insights into cancer biology and therapy resistance mechanisms using cutting-edge high-throughput approaches with patient-derived tumor models and by translating these findings to bedside through innovative clinical trials.

Image: Patient derived organoids from a colorectal cancer patient, DNA (magenta), actin cytoskeleton (cyan), dead cells (yellow). | © dkfz.de,

Our Research

Tumors of the digestive tract are among the most common cancers worldwide. Despite significant advances in cancer therapy, curing patients with metastatic tumors remains a major challenge. The overarching goal of our research group is to develop novel, personalized therapies for patients with gastrointestinal tumors and to establish new predictive factors that can better forecast responses to cancer treatments. 

Research Priorities

Our work focuses on investigating tumor biology of gastrointestinal cancers - particularly the mechanisms driving resistance to cancer therapies - and translating these insights into clinical practice. We specifically focus on:

  • Identification and characterization of genes and signaling pathways impacting response and resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapies
  • Mechanisms of tumor cell adaptation to treatment
  • Testing novel therapies and combination approaches (e.g., drugs, radiotherapy) in preclinical studies and analyzing their underlying mechanisms.

Methods and Technologies

To unravel the complex mechanisms of tumor biology and therapy resistance, we employ cutting-edge technologies:

  • Organoid models: We use 3D cell cultures derived directly from tumor and normal tissue biopsies from our patients. These organoids retain essential molecular characteristics of the original tumors and serve as precise models for preclinical analysis of therapies.
  • High-throughput drug testing: Using our robotics-based platforms, we simultaneously test hundreds of drugs for their effectiveness in organoids.
  • Multi-omics approaches: By integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, we uncover links between molecular changes and therapy responses.
  • Single-cell technologies: High-throughput microscopy and single-cell sequencing, combined with co-culture systems involving cells and factors from the tumor microenvironment, provide detailed insights into cell-cell interactions.

Goals and Relevance for Society

Team

  • Employee image

    apl. Prof. Dr. Johannes Betge

    Group Leader

  • Employee image

    Dr. Theresa Mulholland

    Postdoc

  • Employee image

    Yvonne Petersen

    Lab Technician

  • Employee image

    Philipp Albrecht

    PhD Student

  • Employee image

    Ekin Karabati

    MD Student

  • Employee image

    Lucrezia Tondo

    PhD Student

  • Employee image

    Dr. Kyrhatii Trikhirhisthit

    Clinician Scientist

  • Employee image

    Zhenchong Li

    MD Student

  • Employee image

    Qiaoling Zhang

    MD Student

  • Employee image

    Ping Sui

    MD Student

  • Employee image

    Julian Emanuel Riedesser

    MD Student

  • Employee image

    Shrihar Kanikar

    Technician (Mannheim)

Entire Team

Selected Publications

2023 - Int J Cancer. 2023 Apr 1;152(7):1304-1313

From organoids to bedside: Advances in modeling, decoding and targeting of colorectal cancer

2022 - Nat Commun, 13:3135

The drug-induced phenotypic landscape of colorectal cancer organoids

2022 - Therap Adv Med Oncol, 14:17588359211072703

Precision Medicine for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Clinical Practice

2020 - Clin Transl Gastroenterol, 11:e00212

Cancer-Associated Mutations in Normal Colorectal Mucosa Adjacent to Sporadic Neoplasia

2018 - J Clin Oncol, 36:2052-60

Loss of Chromosome 18q11.2-q12.1 Is Predictive for Survival in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated With Bevacizumab

Preprints

2024 - bioRxiv 2024.06.06.597640

Get in touch with us

Employee image
apl. Prof. Dr. Johannes Betge
Group Leader
Form

Form data is loaded ...