Wir überwinden Grenzen

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is now funding the nationwide research consortium ZiSStrans, which aims to advance the personalization of radiotherapy for tumours in the head and neck area. The Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg is involved with a project in the consortium coordinated by the Helmholtz Zentrum München. ZiSStrans will initially investigate which signaling pathways and key molecules in the tissue are influenced by radiation. Patient studies at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg will then investigate whether these molecular markers can be used to assess whether radiotherapy of the tumor will be successful. In addition, the scientists will address the question of whether the success of radiotherapy can be increased by new active substances that are introduced into the target tissue. ZiSStrans will be funded with a total of four million euros over five years, of which the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg will receive 611,000 euros.

The term head and neck tumors covers various types of cancer that occur in this region, such as oral cavity or throat cancer. A central component of the complex treatment strategies is radiotherapy - alone or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. However, difficulties arise if the tumors exhibit so-called radiation resistance and do not respond to radiation to the desired extent, or if side effects prevent treatment from being continued.

"If we could investigate whether a patient will respond to treatment before starting radiotherapy, it would be a great relief for patients," says Prof. Dr. Anca-Ligia Grosu, Medical Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. She is leading the project together with Prof. Dr. Michael Henke, Section Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. By personalizing therapy in this way, the most promising therapy could be selected for each patient.

Above all, the researchers hope to gain new insights by comparing tumor and normal tissue. This is because the radiation sensitivity of the surrounding healthy tissue limits the intensity with which radiotherapy can be carried out, as side effects can occur here. The next step will be to find out how the tissue can be influenced by new active substances so that it responds better to radiotherapy.

In addition to the Medical Center - University of Freiburg and the Helmholtz Zentrum München (project coordinator: Prof. Dr. Horst Zitzelsberger, Head of the Department of Radiation Cytogenetics), the following partners are involved in the project:

• Munich University Hospital (Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Prof. Lauber, Prof. Belka)
• Essen University Hospital (Institute for Cell Biology, Prof. Jendrossek, PD Dr. Klein)
• Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Institute of Pathology, Prof. Blüthgen)
• Federal Office for Radiation Protection Neuherberg (Working Group Biological Effects of Radiation, Dr. Hornhardt, Dr. Gomolka)
• Clinical Cooperation Group "Personalized Radiotherapy of Head and Neck Tumors" between the Department of Radiotherapy & Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Munich and the Department of Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München

Contact:
Prof. Dr. med. Michael Henke
Project Manager
Department of Radiation Oncology
Uniklinik Freiburg
michael.henke@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Prof. Dr. med. Anca-L. Grosu
Medical Director
Department of Radiation Oncology
Uniklinik Freiburg
anca.grosu@uniklinik-freiburg.de