Keller Lab | Max Delbrück Center

Our utmost goal is to identify and target crucial cancer cell vulnerabilities while sparing normal tissue. From discovery approaches to validation and preclinical testing. Aiming for clinical application.

Cancer originates from normal cells through genetic and epigenetic alterations. By employing forward genomic screening we start from a known gene mutation or cancer-associated condition and investigate the path that results in a manifest malignancy. Major further focus areas of the lab include: oncoprotein-induced disturbance of post-translational protein modifications, in particular SUMOylation, and sensing of DNA damage; constitutively activated B-cell receptor and chemokine receptor signaling; and molecular cancer imaging and theranostics.

Group Leader

Prof. Dr. med. Ulrich Keller

Team

Markus Schick, M.Sc., Postdoc

Matthias Wirth, PD Dr. rer. nat., Scientist

Stefan Habringer, Dr. med. Dr. univ., Clinician scientist

Jolanta Slawska, M.Sc., Technical assistant (affiliation: TUM)

Konstandina Isaakidis, B.Sc., Technical assistant

Veronika Schulze, M.Sc., Technical assistant

Stefanos Alexandros Bamopoulos, Clinician scientist

Nikita Nikita, PhD student

Le Zhang, MD student

Minh Ho, B.Sc., Technical assistant

Yingfen Hong, MD student (TUM)

Josefina Doffo, M.Sc., PhD student (affiliation: TUM)

Elena Rohleder, Dr. med., Clinician scientist

Sven Liebig, Clinician scientist

Francis Baumgartner, Dr. med., Clinician scientist

Uta Demel, Dr. med., Clinician scientist

Richard Lewis, MD student (affiliation: TUM/Charité)

Stavroula Litsiou, Pharmacist, PhD student

Laura Schmalbrock, Dr. med., Clinician scientist

Enio Gjerga, M.sc., Bioinformatician, Postdoc

Currently, the Keller Group focuses on the following research projects:

Myc-associated cancer biology

Functional genomic screening

Aberrant Ub/SUMO activity in cancer

Chemokine receptor signaling

Functional imaging and theranostics

October 17, 2022 in EMBO J

The OTUD6B-LIN28B-MYC axis determines the proliferative state in multiple myeloma

C. Paulmann
R. Spallek
O. Karpiuk
M. Heider
I. Schäffer
J. Zecha
S. Klaeger
M. Walzik
R. Öllinger
T. Engleitner
M. Wirth
U. Keller
J. Krönke
M. Rudelius
S. Kossatz
R. Rad
B. Kuster
F. Bassermann

September 30, 2022 in Esc Heart Fail

Cardiovascular and metabolic determinants of quality of life in patients with cancer

R. Evertz
K. Gödde
C. Diehl
M. Valentova
T. Garfias-Veitl
F. Braulke
G.G. Wulf
T.R. Overbeck
A. Bleckmann
A.O. König
P. Weinländer
S. Potthoff
S. Hadzibegovic
A. Lena
U. Keller
U. Landmesser
A. Schuster
M.S. Anker
G. Hasenfuß
S. von Haehling

September 22, 2022 in Haematologica

Small molecule SUMO inhibition for biomarker-informed B-cell lymphoma therapy

U.M. Demel
M. Wirth
S. Yousefian
L. Zhang
K. Isaakidis
J. Dönig
M. Böger
N. Singh
H. Köse
S. Haas
S. Müller
M. Schick
U. Keller

September 01, 2022 in HemaSphere

Genotype and intensive pretreatment influence outcome of acute myeloid leukemia patients treated with venetoclax in combination with hypomethylating agents or low-dose cytarabine: "real world" data from germany

K. Braitsch
L.K. Schmalbrock
P. Jung
I. Bumeder
P. Kiewe
J.S. Hecker
M. Verbeek
J. Westermann
L. Bullinger
U. Keller
F. Bassermann
J. Krönke
K.S. Götze
K. Rieger

August 08, 2022 in Theranostics

Reduced splenic uptake on (68)Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT imaging in multiple myeloma - a potential imaging biomarker for disease prognosis

S. Kraus
P. Klassen
M. Kircher
A. Dierks
S. Habringer
A. Gäble
K.M. Kortüm
N. Weinhold
V. Ademaj-Kospiri
R.A. Werner
A. Schirbel
A.K. Buck
P. Herhaus
H.J. Wester
A. Rosenwald
W.A. Weber
H. Einsele
U. Keller
L. Rasche
C. Lapa

August 02, 2022 in Blood Adv

SUMOylation inhibition overcomes proteasome inhibitor resistance in multiple myeloma

G.J.J.E. Heynen
F. Baumgartner
M. Heider
U. Patra
M. Holz
J. Braune
M. Kaiser
I. Schäffer
S.A. Bamopoulos
E. Ramberger
A. Murgai
Y.L.D. Ng
U.M. Demel
D. Laue
S. Liebig
J. Krüger
M. Janz
A. Nogai
M. Schick
P. Mertins
S. Müller
F. Bassermann
J. Krönke
U. Keller
M. Wirth

July 01, 2022 in Leukemia

Long-term efficacy, safety and neurotolerability of MATRix regimen followed by autologous transplant in primary CNS lymphoma: 7-year results of the IELSG32 randomized trial

June 23, 2022 in Methods Mol Biol

Gene gun Her2/neu DNA vaccination: evaluation of vaccine efficacy in a syngeneic Her2/neu mouse tumor model

T. Nguyen-Hoai
O. Hohn
A. Pezzutto
J. Westermann

June 23, 2022 in Methods Mol Biol

TCR gene therapy for cancer

S. Rhein
N. Çakmak-Görür

June 13, 2022 in BMC Infect Dis

Anti-SARS-CoV2 antibody-mediated cytokine release syndrome in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia

A.N. Hegazy
J. Krönke
S. Angermair
S. Schwartz
C. Weidinger
U. Keller
S. Treskatsch
B. Siegmund
T. Schneider

Histopathologic image of Hodgkin's lymphoma

Science January 12, 2022

Key signaling pathway for lymphoma

A team led by Professor Ulrich Keller studied genes which are altered in people with lymphoma and identified a key mechanism involved in disease development. This signaling pathway controls the repair of DNA damage, they report in “Nature Communications”.

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 824, SFB 1335)
Deutsche Krebshilfe
Sander Stiftung
EU/BMBF Horizon 2020
German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)
Stiftung Charité
Berlin Institute of Health (BIH)
Berliner Krebsgesellschaft