New collaborative research center in cancer research

Research

5/31/2024
Reading time 2 min.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) will fund a new Collaborative Research Center led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM): Transregio 387 will focus on how the ubiquitin system can be used for cancer therapies. Funding has also been extended for another Transregio with TUM participation.

A bone marrow sample on a microscopic slide — In TRR 387 UbiQancer, the researchers want to gain new insights into the function of the ubiquitin system in certain types of cancer and hope to generate new drugs based on these findings.

The DFG's Collaborative Research Centers are one of the most important research funding programs in Germany. They support ambitious, interdisciplinary and long-term research projects. These centers are initially approved for four years, but can be funded for up to twelve years in total. A "Transregio" is a Collaborative Research Center whose partners collaborate across regional boundaries.

Prof. Florian Bassermann is the spokesperson for UbiQancer.

TRR 387: Functionalizing the Ubiquitin System against Cancer – UbiQancer

Cancer can be described as a disruption of cell function. This in turn is caused by changes in the interaction between the proteins in the body. An important factor for this interaction and thus for cell function is the ubiquitin system. The molecule ubiquitin can, for example, change the function of proteins and their degradation. When and how this happens is controlled in the human body by around 1000 different genes. Changes in ubiquitin-dependent processes can lead to cancer, but these processes are not yet sufficiently understood.

The TRR UbiQuancer aims to find new approaches for the treatment of various tumor diseases through a better understanding of the role of the ubiquitin system in cancer. The spokesperson for the TRR is Prof. Florian Bassermann, Director of the Department of Internal Medicine III at TUM's University Hospital rechts der Isar. "In Transregio 387, we will gain new insights into the fundamentals of the development of different types of cancer, but also generate new drugs based on these findings," says Prof. Florian Bassermann. "To do this, we are utilizing the specific strengths of the partner sites." Co-applicants are the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg and the Goethe University Frankfurt a. M.

Funding extended for four years:

TRR 179: Determinants and dynamics of elimination versus persistence in hepatitis virus infections

The course of hepatitis virus infections is a dynamic process controlled by the complex interplay of viral and cellular parameters. Deciphering the mechanisms and dynamics that orchestrate this complex interplay is the central goal of this Transregio.

Responsible at TUM: Ulrike Protzer, Professor of Virology
Spokesperson: Prof. Ralf Bartenschlager (University of Heidelberg)

Further information and links