The intense cooperation of our research group with the clinic of the university hospital Münster makes our group setting its focus on translational oncology. Currently, we are interested in revealing novel therapeutic strategies for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to reduce the rate of relapses of patients.

Our group currently has two main research areas:

Ferroptosis

We are currently interested if an iron-dependent cell death called ferroptosis can be exploited for a novel treatment of lymphoma. Like many cancers, lymphomas can develop resistance to apoptosis, which reduces the effectiveness of traditional chemotherapy. Ferroptosis inducers circumvent this resistance mechanism and could play an important role in lymphoma treatment in the future.

Regulation of lymphocytes

The aim is to identify proteins that influence the functionality of T and B cells. In our laboratory, we try to characterize these proteins in more detail to better understand how they work at the molecular level. In addition, their role in neoplasms such as lymphomas/leukemias or in autoimmune diseases is being investigated.

For further questions to our group or the research we are working on, please don't hesitate to contact us via telephone or E-Mail.

1. PMID: 37934892

Inhibition of glutaminase-1 in DLBCL potentiates venetoclax-induced antitumor activity by promoting oxidative stress. Gomez Solsona B, Horn H, Schmitt A, Xu W, Bucher P, Heinrich A, Kalmbach S, Kreienkamp N, Franke M, Wimmers F, Schuhknecht L, Rosenwald A, Zampieri M, Ott G, Lenz G, Schulze-Osthoff K, Hailfinger S. Blood Adv. 2023 Nov 7:bloodadvances.2023010964. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010964. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37934892

2. PMID: 37294920

BRD4 inhibition sensitizes diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells to ferroptosis. Schmitt A, Grimm M, Kreienkamp N, Junge H, Labisch J, Schuhknecht L, Schönfeld C, Görsch E, Tibello A, Menck K, Bleckmann A, Lengerke C, Rosenbauer F, Grau M, Zampieri M, Schulze-Osthoff K, Klener P, Dolnikova A, Lenz G, Hailfinger S. Blood. 2023 Sep 28;142(13):1143-1155. doi: 10.1182/blood.2022019274. PMID: 37294920

3. PMID: 36302754

The oncogenic fusion protein DNAJB1-PRKACA can be specifically targeted by peptide-based immunotherapy in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Bauer J, Köhler N, Maringer Y, Bucher P, Bilich T, Zwick M, Dicks S, Nelde A, Dubbelaar M, Scheid J, Wacker M, Heitmann JS, Schroeder S, Rieth J, Denk M, Richter M, Klein R, Bonzheim I, Luibrand J, Holzer U, Ebinger M, Brecht IB, Bitzer M, Boerries M, Feucht J, Salih HR, Rammensee HG, Hailfinger S, Walz JS. Nat Commun. 2022 Oct 27;13(1):6401. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-33746-3. PMID: 36302754 Free PMC article.

4. PMID: 33876201

Dimethyl fumarate induces ferroptosis and impairs NF-κB/STAT3 signaling in DLBCL. Schmitt A, Xu W, Bucher P, Grimm M, Konantz M, Horn H, Zapukhlyak M, Berning P, Brändle M, Jarboui MA, Schönfeld C, Boldt K, Rosenwald A, Ott G, Grau M, Klener P, Vockova P, Lengerke C, Lenz G, Schulze-Osthoff K, Hailfinger S. Blood. 2021 Sep 9;138(10):871-884. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020009404. PMID: 33876201 Free article.

5. PMID: 31794606

Targeting chronic NFAT activation with calcineurin inhibitors in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Bucher P, Erdmann T, Grondona P, Xu W, Schmitt A, Schürch C, Zapukhlyak M, Schönfeld C, Serfling E, Kramer D, Grau M, Klener P, Lengerke C, Schulze-Osthoff K, Lenz G, Hailfinger S. Blood. 2020 Jan 9;135(2):121-132. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019001866. PMID: 31794606 Free article.

6. PMID: 29352266

Correspondence: T cells are compromised in tetracycline transactivator transgenic mice. Schmitt A, Schulze-Osthoff K, Hailfinger S. Cell Death Differ. 2018 Mar;25(3):634-636. doi: 10.1038/s41418-017-0042-y. Epub 2018 Jan 19. PMID: 29352266 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

7. PMID: 26767426

MALT1 Protease Activity Controls the Expression of Inflammatory Genes in Keratinocytes upon Zymosan Stimulation. Schmitt A, Grondona P, Maier T, Brändle M, Schönfeld C, Jäger G, Kosnopfel C, Eberle FC, Schittek B, Schulze-Osthoff K, Yazdi AS, Hailfinger S. J Invest Dermatol. 2016 Apr;136(4):788-797. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2015.12.027. Epub 2016 Jan 6. PMID: 26767426 Free article.

8. PMID: 21873235

Malt1-dependent RelB cleavage promotes canonical NF-kappaB activation in lymphocytes and lymphoma cell lines. Hailfinger S, Nogai H, Pelzer C, Jaworski M, Cabalzar K, Charton JE, Guzzardi M, Décaillet C, Grau M, Dörken B, Lenz P, Lenz G, Thome M. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Aug 30;108(35):14596-601. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1105020108. Epub 2011 Aug 22. PMID: 21873235 Free PMC article.

9. PMID: 19897720

Essential role of MALT1 protease activity in activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Hailfinger S, Lenz G, Ngo V, Posvitz-Fejfar A, Rebeaud F, Guzzardi M, Penas EM, Dierlamm J, Chan WC, Staudt LM, Thome M. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Nov 24;106(47):19946-51. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907511106. Epub 2009 Nov 6. PMID: 19897720 Free PMC article.

11. PMID: 18264101

The proteolytic activity of the paracaspase MALT1 is key in T cell activation. Rebeaud F*, Hailfinger S*, Posevitz-Fejfar A, Tapernoux M, Moser R, Rueda D, Gaide O, Guzzardi M, Iancu EM, Rufer N, Fasel N, Thome M. Nat Immunol. 2008 Mar;9(3):272-81. doi: 10.1038/ni1568. Epub 2008 Feb 10. PMID: 18264101 *equally contributed