Logo des Deutschen Krebsforschungszentrums

Pediatric Neurooncology

  • Functional and Structural Genomics
  • KiTZ

Prof. Dr. Stefan Pfister

Head of Division

Pediatric Neurooncology is currently a vibrant field of research. This is desperately needed, since brain tumors have become the number one cause of cancer-related mortality in children. Our group aims to bridge the gap between generating genomic screening data as well as faithful models for preclinical drug testing, and exploiting these data for the sake of our patients.

Logo DKFZ

Our ­Re­search

The first goal includes the identification, validation and clinical application of prognostic and predictive biomarkers in different childhood brain tumors, including genome, transcriptome and epigenome analysis, and integrative bioinformatics approaches. The second major focus involves the generation of suitable in vitro and in vivo models for systematic pre-clinical testing of novel smart drugs, often in combination with established cytotoxic drugs, chemotherapy or immunotherapy. These novel therapies are ultimately translated into patient care, tightly linked with thorough patient selection based on the genetic/molecular signature of the individual tumor (“personalized cancer care”). 

Future Outlook
The thorough understanding of the immense biological heterogeneity of childhood brain tumors is a prerequisite for targeted treatment approaches. Thus, we will continue to comprehensively investigate the entire genetic and epigenetic diversity of childhood brain tumors within and across histopathological entities. Many of these novel methods are currently being prepared for routine diagnostic applications in a clinical setting through our nationally and internationally acting molecular diagnostics programs (www.pediatric-neurooncology.com). Preclinical models will allow us to specifically test biological hypotheses gained from genome-wide primary tumor analyses in vitro and in vivo, before they are recommended for use in patients. Another focus will be the analysis of clonality within tumors, their respective metastases, and tumor relapses, by ultra-deep next-generation and single-cell sequencing techniques. As a third major focus, we have started focusing on the detection of tumor-specific alteration in body fluids, such as cerebrospinal fluid and plasma, which can be exploited for molecular diagnostics, tumor cell clearance (minimal residual disease), detection of molecular targets, and primary resistance mechanisms. Finally, we will evaluate novel as well as many conventional therapies systematically for their inter-individual range in pharmacokinetics. These differences might help explaining successes and failures in individual patients.

Team

90 Employees

  • Prof. Dr. Stefan Pfister

    Head of Division

    Contact form: Message to Prof. Dr. Stefan Pfister

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Olfat Ahmad

    MNP Outreach Scientific Coordinator

    Contact form: Message to Olfat Ahmad

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Michelle Arnet

    Contact form: Message to Michelle Arnet

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Robert Autry

    Group Leader

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Robert Autry

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Lindsy Autry

    Fundraising

    Contact form: Message to Lindsy Autry

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Leonhard Valentin Bamberg

    Contact form: Message to Leonhard Valentin Bamberg

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Daniela Bastian

    Fundraising

    Contact form: Message to Daniela Bastian

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Luisa Becker

    Contact form: Message to Luisa Becker

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Corinna Becki

    Contact form: Message to Corinna Becki

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Patricia Benites Goncalves da Silva

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Patricia Benites Goncalves da Silva

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Enrique Blanco Carmona

    Contact form: Message to Enrique Blanco Carmona

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Christian Jörg Braun

    Contact form: Message to Christian Jörg Braun

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Carmen Büsken

    Contact form: Message to Carmen Büsken

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Alessia Cais

    Contact form: Message to Alessia Cais

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Aylin Camgöz

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Aylin Camgöz

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Karla Catacora Castaneda

    Contact form: Message to Karla Catacora Castaneda

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Chun Ho Chan

    Contact form: Message to Chun Ho Chan

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Lioba Courth

    Scientific Project Management

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Lioba Courth

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Hannah Dörsam

    Contact form: Message to Hannah Dörsam

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Olga Ermakova

    Contact form: Message to Olga Ermakova

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Paula Ertel

    Contact form: Message to Paula Ertel

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Selina Faoual

    Contact form: Message to Selina Faoual

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Tom Fischer

    Contact form: Message to Tom Fischer

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Asta Försti

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Asta Försti

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Larissa Fritzenschaf

    Contact form: Message to Larissa Fritzenschaf

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Katia Fundter

    Fundraising

    Contact form: Message to Katia Fundter

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Neal Geisemeyer

    Contact form: Message to Neal Geisemeyer

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Tobias Gies

    Contact form: Message to Tobias Gies

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Johannes Gojo

    Contact form: Message to Johannes Gojo

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Apurva Gopisetty

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Apurva Gopisetty

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Diego Yair Grinman

    Postdoc

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Diego Yair Grinman

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Nele Haberstumpf

    Contact form: Message to Nele Haberstumpf

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Michael Hain

    IT

    Contact form: Message to Michael Hain

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Sema Hamurcu

    Contact form: Message to Sema Hamurcu

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Islam Hassanin

    Contact form: Message to Islam Hassanin

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Sophie Henneken

    Contact form: Message to Sophie Henneken

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Martin Herdt

    Contact form: Message to Martin Herdt

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Nicola Herrmann-Wichmann

    Contact form: Message to Nicola Herrmann-Wichmann

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Nina Hofmann

    Contact form: Message to Nina Hofmann

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Ines Hofmann

    Sekretariat

    Contact form: Message to Ines Hofmann

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Natalie Jäger

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Natalie Jäger

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Pascal Johann

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Pascal Johann

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Piyush Kumar Joshi

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Piyush Kumar Joshi

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Rolf Kabbe

    Contact form: Message to Rolf Kabbe

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Carolin Kerber

    Contact form: Message to Carolin Kerber

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Benedikt Kirchner

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Benedikt Kirchner

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Eric Konrath

    Contact form: Message to Eric Konrath

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Marcel Kool

    Group Leader

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Marcel Kool

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Kendra Maaß

    Group Leader

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Kendra Maaß

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Norman Mack

    Contact form: Message to Norman Mack

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Lukas Madenach

    Contact form: Message to Lukas Madenach

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Monika Mauermann

    Contact form: Message to Monika Mauermann

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Luise Meder

    Contact form: Message to Luise Meder

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dennis Metselaar

    Contact form: Message to Dennis Metselaar

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Sophia Montigel

    Contact form: Message to Sophia Montigel

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Alexandra Moosmann

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Alexandra Moosmann

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Jasmin Luisa Müller

    Secretariat

    Contact form: Message to Jasmin Luisa Müller

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Jan Müller

    Contact form: Message to Jan Müller

    Form data is loaded ...

  • David Norali Ghasemi

    Contact form: Message to David Norali Ghasemi

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Martha O'Brien

    Contact form: Message to Martha O'Brien

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Iris Oezen

    Scientific Project Management

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Iris Oezen

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Konstantin Okonechnikov

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Konstantin Okonechnikov

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Kristian Pajtler

    Group Leader

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Kristian Pajtler

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Lena Parzer

    Contact form: Message to Lena Parzer

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Areeba Jamilkhan Patel

    Contact form: Message to Areeba Jamilkhan Patel

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Maria Proksch

    Contact form: Message to Maria Proksch

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Franziska Reinelt

    Contact form: Message to Franziska Reinelt

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Johanna Rettenmeier

    Contact form: Message to Johanna Rettenmeier

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Eva-Maria Rief

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Eva-Maria Rief

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Iman Sadeghi Dehchesmeh

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Iman Sadeghi Dehchesmeh

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Franziska Schelb

    Contact form: Message to Franziska Schelb

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Frederike Scheurer

    Contact form: Message to Frederike Scheurer

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Mathis Schilling

    Contact form: Message to Mathis Schilling

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Svenja Schmitt

    Contact form: Message to Svenja Schmitt

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Benjamin Schwalm

    Contact form: Message to Benjamin Schwalm

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Nathalie Schwarz

    Contact form: Message to Nathalie Schwarz

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Martin Sill

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Martin Sill

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Nike Simon

    Contact form: Message to Nike Simon

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Julia Sundheimer

    Contact form: Message to Julia Sundheimer

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Niclas Thiebach

    Contact form: Message to Niclas Thiebach

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Supat Thongjuea

    Group Leader

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Supat Thongjuea

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Elias Ulrich

    Contact form: Message to Elias Ulrich

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Torben Wagner

    Contact form: Message to Torben Wagner

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Esther Wahlbrink

    Contact form: Message to Esther Wahlbrink

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Shanzheng Wang

    Contact form: Message to Shanzheng Wang

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Tatjana Wedig

    Contact form: Message to Tatjana Wedig

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Samuel Zabel

    Contact form: Message to Samuel Zabel

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Eric Zhao

    Contact form: Message to Eric Zhao

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Wencan Zhu

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Wencan Zhu

    Form data is loaded ...

  • Dr. Marc Zuckermann

    Group Leader

    Contact form: Message to Dr. Marc Zuckermann

    Form data is loaded ...

Selected Publications

2016 - Nature. 530(7588):57-62.

Active medulloblastoma enhancers reveal subgroup-specific cellular origins.

Lin, C.Y., Erkek, S. et al., …and Pfister, S.M.*, Bradner, J.E.*, Northcott, P.A.*

2015 - Cancer Cell. 27(5):728-43.

Molecular Classification of Ependymal Tumors across All CNS Compartments, Histopathological Grades, and Age Groups.

Pajtler KW, Witt H, Sill M et al., …and Kool, M.*, Pfister, S.M.*

2014 - Nature 511(7510):428-34.

Enhancer hijacking activates GFI1 family oncogenes in medulloblastoma.

Northcott, P. et al., …and Peter Lichter, P.*, Korbel, J.O.*, Wechsler-Reya, R*, Pfister, S.M.*

2014 - Cancer Cell 25(3):393-405.

Genome Sequencing of SHH Medulloblastoma Predicts Genotype-Related Response to Smoothened Inhibition.

Kool M et al.,…,and Wechsler-Reya, R.J.*, Lichter, P.*, Pfister, S.M*.

Get in touch with us

Prof. Dr. Stefan Pfister
Head of Division
Contact form: Message to Prof. Dr. Stefan Pfister

Form data is loaded ...

Ines Hofmann
Sekretariat
Contact form: Message to Ines Hofmann

Form data is loaded ...

Jasmin Luisa Müller
Secretariat
Contact form: Message to Jasmin Luisa Müller

Form data is loaded ...