Prof. Dr. Clemens Schmitt
Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC)
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10
13125 Berlin, Germany
House 31.1 / 1023 and 1042
Phone: +49 30 9406 3370 / 3758
Fax: +49 9406 3364
clemens.schmitt [at] charite.de
Cancer Genetics and Cellular Stress Responses
Our research program is driven by our interest in cellular stress responses (so called ‘failsafe mechanisms’) that may serve as anti-tumor barriers when challenged by transforming oncogenes, and, in turn, must be bypassed or inactivated before a full-blown malignancy can actually form. Importantly, ultimate stress responses such as apoptosis or cellular senescence – both terminal ‘cell-cycle exit’ programs – do not only counter tumorigenesis, but are utilized as chemotherapy- induced stress responses as well. Hence, principles of oncogenesis and mechanisms of treatment sensitivity seem to critically overlap and impinge on each other during tumor formation, cancer therapy and relapsed or progressive disease conditions. To test the impact of genetic lesions in cellular stress response programs on tumor development and treatment outcome under most physiological conditions in vivo, we generate mouse models harboring lymphomas (and other tumor entities) with defined genetic lesions.
Publications
Schmitt CA: Cellular senescence and cancer treatment. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Reviews on Cancer 1775 (1): 5-20 (2007-01)
Reimann M; Loddenkemper C; Rudolph C; Schildhauer I; Teichmann B; Stein H; Schlegelberger B; Doerken B; Schmitt CA: The Myc-evoked DNA damage response accounts for treatment resistance in primary lymphomas in vivo. Blood 110 (8): 2996-3004 (2007-10-15)
Bouchard C; Lee S; Paulus-Hock V; Loddenkemper C; Eilers M; Schmitt CA: FoxO transcription factors suppress Myc-driven lymphomagenesis via direct activation of Arf. Genes & Development 21 (21): 2775-2787 (2007-11-01)
Braig M; Schmitt CA: Oncogene-induced senescence: putting the brakes on tumor development. Cancer Research 66: 2881-2884 (2006-03-15)
Helmrich A; Lee S; O'Brien P; Doerken B; Lowe SW; Schroeck E; Schmitt CA: Recurrent chromosomal aberrations in INK4a/ARF defective primary lymphomas predict drug responses in vivo. Oncogene 24: 4174-4182 (2005-01-01)