Team


Alumni

Fabio Boniolo
Fabio Boniolo
Master of Science - Bioinformatician

Therapeutic targeting and transcriptional subtyping of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma




Fengchong Wang
Fengchong Wang
Bioinformatician
Therapeutic targeting, machine learning and mathematical modelling of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma




Mingsong Wang
Mingsong Wang
Master of Science

Therapeutic targeting and therapy resistance of pancreatic cancer





Moritz Jesinghaus

Colorectcal cancer research 


I studied medicine between 2006-2012 at the University of Regensburg and at the University of Leipzig and did my MD-Thesis (Dr. med.) on the genetic background of chronic pancreatitis in the lab of Prof. Jonas Rosendahl at the University of Leipzig. In 2013, I started my residency as a clinical pathologist at the Institute of Pathology of the University of Heidelberg (Director: Prof. Dr. P. Schirmacher) and joined the lab of Prof. Wilko Weichert. Moving to the Institute of Pathology of the Technical University of Munich (Director: Prof. Dr. W. Weichert) in 2015, I finished my Habilitation in 2018 (Privatdozent/Associate Professor) and received my board certification as a full pathologist in 2019. In November 2017, I accepted the kind offer of Prof. Saur to associate my research to his lab as a postdoctoral researcher.

Short description of research field/project:
My principal research interest is the genetic background of colorectal neoplasias and especially colorectal cancer (CRC) and its specific morphologic subtypes, which I investigated using a morphomolecular approach in the lab of Prof. Weichert.

My current research in the Saur lab focuses on organoids as a tool to comparatively model colorectal neoplasias, with a focus on factors that influence the progression from various pre-malignant precursor lesions (adenomas) to invasive carcinoma or on the potential molecular background of specific CRC subtypes, such as mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma or neuroendocrine carcinoma. My research is supported by the Else Kröner Fresenius Stiftung.

Publications:

Cellular Dissociation Grading Based on the Parameters Tumor Budding and Cell Nest Size in Pretherapeutic Biopsy Specimens Allows for Prognostic Patient Stratification in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Independent From Clinical Staging.

Jesinghaus M, Brühl F, Steiger K, Klare P, Reiser M, Scheiter A, Konukiewitz B, Kuhn P, Münch S, Quante M, Schmid RM, Wilhelm D, Feith M, Friess H, Combs S, Saur D, Boxberg M, Weichert W.

Am J Surg Pathol. 2019

Appendiceal goblet cell carcinoids and adenocarcinomas ex-goblet cell carcinoids are genetically distinct from primary colorectal-type adenocarcinomas of the appendix.

Jesinghaus M, Konukiewitz B, Foersch S, Stenzinger A, Steiger K, Muckenhuber A, Groß C, Mollenhauer M, Roth W, Dethlefsen S, Weichert W, Klöppel G, Pfarr N, Schlitter AM.

Mod Pathol. 2018

Introducing a Novel Highly Prognostic Grading Scheme Based on Tumor Budding and Cell Nest Size for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

Jesinghaus M, Strehl J, Boxberg M, Brühl F, Wenzel A, Konukiewitz B, Schlitter AM, Steiger K, Warth A, Schnelzer A, Kiechle M, Beckmann MW, Noske A, Hartmann A, Mehlhorn G, Koch MC, Weichert W

J Pathol: Clin Res. 2018

Colorectal mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas and neuroendocrine carcinomas are genetically closely related to colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Jesinghaus M, Konukiewitz B, Keller G, Kloor M, Steiger K, Reiche M, Penzel R, Endris V, Arsenic R, Hermann G, Stenzinger A, Weichert W, Pfarr N, Klöppel G.

Mod Pathol. 2017

A Novel Grading System Based on Tumor Budding and Cell Nest Size Is a Strong Predictor of Patient Outcome in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Jesinghaus M, Boxberg M, Konukiewitz B, Slotta-Huspenina J, Schlitter AM, Steiger K, Specht K, Wieczorek K, Warth A, Schmidt T, Hartmann A, Demir IE, Feith M, Ott K, Weichert W.

Am J Surg Pathol. 2017

Increased intraepithelial CD3+ T-lymphocytes and high PD-L1 expression on tumor cells are associated with a favorable prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and allow prognostic immunogenic subgrouping.

Jesinghaus M, Steiger K, Slotta-Huspenina J, Drecoll E, Pfarr N, Meyer P, Konukiewitz B, Bettstetter M, Wieczorek K, Ott K, Feith M, Langer R, Weichert W, Specht K, Boxberg M.

Oncotarget. 2017

Genetic heterogeneity in synchronous colorectal cancers impacts genotyping approaches and therapeutic strategies.

Jesinghaus M, Pfarr N, Kloor M, Endris V, Tavernar L, Muckenhuber A, von Knebel Doeberitz M, Penzel R, Weichert W, Stenzinger A.

Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2016

Genotyping of Colorectal Cancer for Cancer Precision Medicine: Results from the IPH    Center for Molecular Pathology.

Jesinghaus M, Pfarr N, Endris V, Kloor M, Volckmar AL, Brandt R, Herpel E, Muckenhuber A, Lasitschka F, Schirmacher P, Penzel R, Weichert W, Stenzinger A.

Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2016

Distinctive Spatiotemporal Stability of Somatic Mutations in Metastasized Microsatellite-stable Colorectal Cancer.

Jesinghaus M, Wolf T, Pfarr N, Muckenhuber A, Ahadova A, Warth A, Goeppert B, Sers C, Kloor M, Endris V, Stenzinger A, Weichert W.

Am J Surg Pathol. 2015.

Tumor budding activity and cell nest size determine patient outcome in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Proposal for an adjusted grading system.

Boxberg M1, Jesinghaus M1, Dorfner C, Mogler C, Drecoll E, Warth A, Steiger K, Bollwein C, Meyer P, Wolff KD, Kolk A, Weichert W.

Histopathology. 2017 1 shared

Pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas reveal a closer relationship to ductal               

adenocarcinomas than to neuroendocrine tumors G3.

Konukiewitz B, Jesinghaus M1, Steiger K, Schlitter AM, Kasajima A, Sipos B, Zamboni G, Weichert W, Pfarr N, Klöppel G.

Hum Pathol. 20181 shared

Genetic analysis of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) in different forms of pancreatitis.

Weis S1, Jesinghaus M1, Kovacs P, Schleinitz D, Schober R, Ruffert C, Herms M, Wittenburg H, Stumvoll M, Blüher M, Grützmann R, Schulz HU, Keim V, Mössner J, Bugert P, Witt H, Drenth JP, Krohn K, Rosendahl J.1 shared

PLoS One. 2012

Tumor Budding and Cell Nest Size are Highly Prognostic in Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Further Evidence for a Unified Histopathologic Grading System for Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract.

Boxberg M, Kuhn PH, Reiser M, Erb A, Steiger K, Pickhard A, Straßen U, Koob I, Kolk A, Warth A, Jesinghaus M, Weichert W.

Am J Surg Pathol. 2018

Immunohistochemical expression of CD44 in oral squamous cell carcinoma in relation to histomorphologic parameters and clinicopathological factors.

Boxberg M, Götz C, Haidari S, Dorfner C, Jesinghaus M, Drecoll E, Boskov M, Wolff KD, Weichert W, Haller B, Kolk A.

Histopathology. 2018

Novel prognostic histopathological grading system in oral squamous cell carcinoma based on tumour budding and cell nest size shows high interobserver and intraobserver concordance.

Boxberg M, Bollwein C, Jöhrens K, Kuhn PH, Haller B, Steiger K, Wolff KD, Kolk A, Jesinghaus M, Weichert W.

J Clin Pathol. 2018

                                                                                              

Composition and Clinical Impact of the Immunologic Tumor Microenvironment in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Boxberg M, Leising L, Steiger K, Jesinghaus M, Alkhamas A, Mielke M, Pfarr N, Götz C, Wolff KD, Weichert W, Kolk A.

J Immunol. 2018

A microsatellite based multiplex PCR method for the detection of chromosomal instability in gastric cancer.

Kohlruss M, Reiche M, Jesinghaus M, Grosser B, Slotta-Huspenina J, Hapfelmeier A, Bauer L, Novotny A, Weichert W, Keller G

Scientific Reports. 2018

Mutational Profiles of Brenner Tumors show Distinctive Features Uncoupling Urothelial Carcinomas and Ovarian Carcinoma with Transitional Cell Histology.

Pfarr N, Darb-Esfahani S, Leichsenring J, Taube E, Boxberg M, Braicu I, Jesinghaus M, Penzel R, Endris V, Noske A, Weichert W, Schirmacher P, Denkert C, Stenzinger A.

Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2017

CXCR4 is a potential target for diagnostic PET/CT imaging in Barrett's dysplasia and    esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Fang HY, Münch NS, Schottelius M, Ingermann J, Liu H, Schauer M, Stangl S, Multhoff G, Steiger K, Gerngroß C, Jesinghaus M, Weichert W, Kühl AA, Sepulveda AR, Wester HJ, Wang TC, Quante M.

Clin Cancer Res. 2017

pT but not pN stage of the 8th TNM classification significantly improves prognostication in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Schlitter AM, Jesinghaus M, Jäger C, Konukiewitz B, Muckenhuber A, Demir IE, Bahra M, Denkert C, Friess H, Kloeppel G, Ceyhan GO, Weichert W.

Eur J Cancer. 2017

Pharmacoproteomic characterisation of human colon and rectal cancer.

Frejno M, Zenezini Chiozzi R, Wilhelm M, Koch H, Zheng R, Klaeger S, Ruprecht B, Meng C, Kramer K, Jarzab A, Heinzlmeir S, Johnstone E, Domingo E, Kerr D, Jesinghaus M, Slotta-Huspenina J, Weichert W, Knapp S, Feller SM, Kuster B.

Mol Syst Biol. 2017

A novel pretherapeutic gene expression based risk score for treatment guidance in gastric cancer.

Bauer L, Hapfelmeier A, Blank S, Reiche M, Slotta-Huspenina J, Jesinghaus M, Novotny A, Schmidt T, Grosser B, Kohlruss M, Weichert W, Ott K, Keller G.

Ann Oncol. 2017

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Subtyping using the Biomarkers Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-1A and Cytokeratin-81 Correlates with Outcome and Treatment Response.

Muckenhuber A, Berger AK, Schlitter AM, Steiger K, Konukiewitz B, Trumpp A, Eils R, Werner J, Friess H, Esposito I, Klöppel G, Ceyhan GO, Jesinghaus M, Denkert C, Bahra M, Stenzinger A, Sprick MR, Jäger D, Springfeld C, Weichert W.

Clin Cancer Res. 2017

Distribution of MED12 mutations in fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumors of the breast--implications for tumor biology and pathological diagnosis.

Pfarr N, Kriegsmann M, Sinn P, Klauschen F, Endris V, Herpel E, Muckenhuber A, Jesinghaus M, Klosterhalfen B, Penzel R, Lennerz JK, Weichert W, Stenzinger A.

Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2015

Correlation of Hsp70 Serum Levels with Gross Tumor Volume and Composition of Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Patients with Squamous Cell and Adeno Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Gunther S, Ostheimer C, Stangl S, Specht HM, Mozes P, Jesinghaus M, Vordermark D, Combs SE, Peltz F, Jung MP, Multhoff G.

Front Immunol. 2015

Profiling of cMET and HER Family Receptor Expression in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas and Corresponding Lymph Node Metastasis to Assess Relevant Pathways for Targeted Therapies: Looking at the Soil Before Planting the Seed.

Muckenhuber A, Babitzki G, Thomas M, Hölzlwimmer G, Zajac M, Jesinghaus M, Bergmann F, Werner J, Stenzinger A, Weichert W.

Pancreas 2016

A common variant of PNPLA3 (p.I148M) is not associated with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis.

Rosendahl J, Tönjes A, Schleinitz D, Kovacs P, Wiegand J, Ruffert C, Jesinghaus M, Schober R, Herms M, Grützmann R, Schulz HU, Stickel F, Werner J, Bugert P, Blüher M, Stumvoll M, Böhm S, Berg T, Wittenburg H, Mössner J, te Morsche R, Derikx M, Keim V, Witt H, Drenth JP.

PLoS  One. 2012

Somatostatin receptor expression related to TP53 and RB1 alterations in pancreatic and extrapancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with a Ki67-index above 20.

Konukiewitz B, Schlitter AM, Jesinghaus M, Pfister D, Steiger K, Segler A, Agaimy A, Sipos B, Zamboni G, Weichert W, Esposito I, Pfarr N, Klöppel G.

Mod Pathol. 2017

Copy number changes of clinically actionable genes in melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer-A survey across 822 routine diagnostic cases.

Pfarr N, Penzel R, Klauschen F, Heim D, Brandt R, Kazdal D, Jesinghaus M, Herpel E, Schirmacher P, Warth A, Weichert W, Endris V, Stenzinger A.

Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2016




Stella Koutsouli
Stella Koutsouli
Master of Science and PhD
Circadian clock in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma



Tânia Santos
Tânia Custodio Santos
Master of Science
Tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma



PhD graduate students

Rushin Gindra
PhD student (Bioinformatics)

Multi-modal spatial-omics analysis 
(i.e. histology whole slide images & spatial transcriptomics). Integrating spatial gene expression and pancreatic tumour morphology (multi-modal spatial-omics analysis) to predict tumour subtypes and therapeutic vulnerabilities

I am a first year PhD Candidate at Saur Lab (TranslaTUM), Peng Lab (Helmholtz Munich). Before joining as a doctoral candidate, I was a researcher at Boston University, School of Medicine (BUSM), USA, working on developing image biomarkers of lung squamous premalignant progression. I got my master’s degree in computer science from Rutgers University, USA. My master’s thesis involved developing methods for automatic cardiac segmentation using multi-modal data. My research interests are specifically focused towards deep learning and medical image analysis. I aim to become a research scientist bridging the gap between state of the art academic research and it’s huge translational potential in biomedical industry.





Tina Sket
PhD student

KRAS-dependency and heterogeneity in PDAC

I completed my BSc studies in Microbiology at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2018, and afterwards MSc in Genetics and molecular biosciences at the University of Helsinki, Finland, in 2020. I continued my research for one year at the National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia, where I worked in the field of immunology and synthetic biology. Since 2021 I am a PhD student in Saur lab, where I am investigating KRAS dependency and heterogeneity of PDAC tumors, using transgenic mouse models.





Research Technician

Saskia Ettl
Research Technician




Postdoctoral Researcher

Stefanie Bärthel
Stefanie Bärthel
PostDoc

Tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Single-cell RNA sequencing