The research group investigates the mechanisms of tumor progression, especially the single steps of the metastasis cascade in solid tumors. In this context we are focusing in particular on the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway and try to characterize its role in tumor progression and to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms. Moreover, we are analyzing the interaction of tumor cells with the surrounding benign cells of the tumor stroma, especially tumor-associated macrophages, in regard to tumor invasion. Our lab is particularly interested in the intercellular communication via extracellular vesicles.
In our research we work on one specific population of extracellular vesicles, the so-called microvesicles (diameter 100-1000 nm) which are constantly released from the cellular plasma membrane. One the one hand, we try to elucidate the functional effects of tumor-derived microvesicles on neighboring stroma cells, on the other hand, we are working on the identification of markers that will allow the detection and functional analysis of tumor microvesicles in cancer patients’ blood.
In order to better understand the mechanisms of tumor invasion, we analyze metastases samples of different solid tumors as well as cell lines and extracellular vesicles via high-throughput methods on the RNA, protein and metabolism level (RNA sequencing, Proteomics, Metabolomics). Based on the results we can then define signatures that will be correlated with clinical parameters in a translational approach and in the end can provide information about the prognosis of cancer patients.
One main focus of our research is the role of extracellular vesicles in lung cancer. As lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, our aim is to improve patients´ survival by monitoring their course of disease in order to detect relapse or progression prior to imaging. Our lab has already established a tumor-defining antigen pattern on extracellular vesicles that can help identify tumor-derived vesicles in the blood of lung cancer patients and subsequently be used as a biomarker to monitor disease. We have special interest in the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer and identifying groups of patients that benefit or do not benefit from immunotherapy.
Since 2022 our team is part of the BMBF-funded consortium Permiccion which aims to understand the role of the tumor microbiome for the development of colorectal cancer in young patients. More information can be found here.
Prof. Dr. med. Annalen Bleckmann
Leitung Internistische Onkologie
Professorin für Internistische Onkologie
Direktorin Westdeutsches Tumorzentrum (WTZ) Netzwerkpartner Münster
Bereichseleitung Internistische Onkologie Medizinische Klinik A
T 0251 83 52712
F 0251 83 52849
annalen.bleckmann(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Dr. rer. nat. Kerstin Menck
Junior-Arbeitsgruppenleiterin
Laborleiterin
T 0251 83-52713
F 0251 83-52849
kerstin.menck(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
PD Dr. med. Georg Evers
Oberarzt
Facharzt für Innere Medizin, Hämatologie, Onkologie und Pneumologie
T 0251 83-47610
F 0251 83-47680
georg.evers(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Dr. med. Carolin Krekeler
Assistenzärztin
T 0251/83-47606
F 0251/83-47599
Carolin.Krekeler(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Lea Elisabeth Reitnauer
Assistenzärztin
T 0251 83-49041
F 0251 83-47599
Leaelisabeth.Reitnauer(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Barnabas Irmer
Molekularbiologe
Wissenschaftlicher Doktorand
T 0251 83-52999
F 0251 83-52849
barnabas.irmer@ukmuenster.de
Katharina Maria Richter
Molekularbiologin
Wissenschaftliche Doktorandin
T 0251 83-52999
F 0251 83-52849
Katharinamaria.richter(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Suganja Chandrabalan
Molekularbiologin
Wissenschaftliche Doktorandin
T 0251 83-52999
F 0251 83-52849
suganja.chandrabalan(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Nadja Kämper
Medizinische Doktorandin
T 0251 83-52713
F 0251 83-52849
Allegra Angenendt
Masterstudentin
T 0251 83-52999
F 0251 83-52849
Allegra.angenendt(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Buket Celik MTA
T 0251 83-52999
F 0251 83-52849
buket.celik@ukmuenster.de
Dipl.- Betriebsw. Claudia Bieber-Tuschen
Wissenschaftliche Koordinatorin
Assistentin der Bereichsleitung Internistische Onkologie
T 0251 83-52954
F 0251 83-52849
claudia.bieber-tuschen(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Dr. med. Marcel Kemper
Assistenzarzt
T 0251-83 51118
F 0251-83 47599
marcel.kemper(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Laura Sophie Altschulze
Med. Doktorandin
T 0251-83-52999
F 0251 83-52849
Laura.altschulze(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
Menck K, Wlochowitz D, Wachter A, Conradi LC, Wolff A, Scheel AH, Korf U, Wiemann S, Schildhaus HU, Bohnenberger H, Wingender E, Pukrop T, Homayounfar K, Beißbarth T, Bleckmann A.High-Throughput Profiling of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases Reveals Intra- and Inter-Patient Heterogeneity in the EGFR and WNT Pathways Associated with Clinical Outcome.Cancers (Basel). 2022 Apr 21;14(9):2084.
Menck K, Heinrichs S, Wlochowitz D, Sitte M, Noeding H, Janshoff A, Treiber H, Ruhwedel T, Schatlo B, von der Brelie C, Wiemann S, Pukrop T, Beißbarth T, Binder C, Bleckmann A.WNT11/ROR2 signaling is associated with tumor invasion and poor survival in breast cancer.J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Dec 15;40(1):395.
Kemper M, Evers G, Schulze AB, Sperveslage J, Schülke C, Lenz G, Herold T, Hartmann W, Schildhaus HU, Bleckmann A.Polyclonal on- and off-target resistance mutations in an EML4-ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer patient under ALK inhibition.Oncotarget. 2021 Sep 14;12(19):1946-1952.
Menck K, Heinrichs S, Baden C, Bleckmann A. The WNT/ROR Pathway in Cancer: From Signaling to Therapeutic Intervention. Cells. 2021 Jan 12;10(1): 142.
Menck K, Sivaloganathan S, Bleckmann A, Binder C. Microvesicles in Cancer: Small, Large, Potential.. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 28;21(15): 5373, doi: 10.3390/ijms21155373.
Fromme JE, Schmitz K, Wachter A, Grzelinski M, Zielinski D, Koppel C, Conradi LC, Homayounfar K, Hugo T, Hugo S, Lukat L, Rüschoff J, Ströbel P, Ghadimi M, Beißbarth T, Reuter-Jessen K, Schildhaus HU, Bleckmann A. FGFR3 mRNA overexpression defines a subset of oligometastatic colorectal cancers with worse prognosis. Oncotarget. 2018 Aug 14;9(63): 32204-32218.
Menck K, Sönmezer C, Worst TS, Schulz M, Dihazi GH, Streit F, Erdmann G, Kling S, Boutros M, Binder C, Gross JC. Neutral sphingomyelinases control extracellular vesicles budding from the plasma membrane.J Extracell Vesicles. 2017 Sep 26; 6(1): 1378056. doi: 10.1080/20013078.2017.1378056. eCollection 2017.
Menck K, Bleckmann A, Wachter A, Hennies B, Ries L, Schulz M, Balkenhol M, Pukrop T, Schatlo B, Rost U, Wenzel D, Klemm F, Binder C. Characterisation of tumour-derived microvesicles in cancer patients' blood and correlation with clinical outcome.J Extracell Vesicles. 2017 Jul 16; 6(1): 1340745.
Bayerlová M, Menck K, Klemm F, Wolff A, Pukrop T, Binder C, Beißbarth T, Bleckmann A. Ror2 Signaling and Its Relevance in Breast Cancer Progression.Front Oncol. 2017 Jun 26; 7:135. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2017.00135. eCollection 2017.
Bleckmann A, Conradi LC, Menck K, Schmick NA, Schubert A, Rietkötter E, Arackal J, Middel P, Schambony A, Liersch T, Homayounfar K, Beißbarth T, Klemm F, Binder C, Pukrop T. β-catenin-independent WNT signaling and Ki67 in contrast to the estrogen receptor status are prognostic and associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer liver metastases. Clin Exp Metastasis. 2016 Apr; 33(4): 309-23. doi: 10.1007/s10585-016-9780-3. Epub 2016 Feb 9.
Menck K, Wlochowitz D, Wachter A, Conradi LC, Wolff A, Scheel AH, Korf U, Wiemann S, Schildhaus HU, Bohnenberger H, Wingender E, Pukrop T, Homayounfar K, Beißbarth T, Bleckmann A.High-Throughput Profiling of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases Reveals Intra- and Inter-Patient Heterogeneity in the EGFR and WNT Pathways Associated with Clinical Outcome.Cancers (Basel). 2022 Apr 21;14(9):2084.
Menck K, Heinrichs S, Wlochowitz D, Sitte M, Noeding H, Janshoff A, Treiber H, Ruhwedel T, Schatlo B, von der Brelie C, Wiemann S, Pukrop T, Beißbarth T, Binder C, Bleckmann A.WNT11/ROR2 signaling is associated with tumor invasion and poor survival in breast cancer.J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Dec 15;40(1):395.
Kemper M, Evers G, Schulze AB, Sperveslage J, Schülke C, Lenz G, Herold T, Hartmann W, Schildhaus HU, Bleckmann A.Polyclonal on- and off-target resistance mutations in an EML4-ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer patient under ALK inhibition.Oncotarget. 2021 Sep 14;12(19):1946-1952.
Menck K, Heinrichs S, Baden C, Bleckmann A. The WNT/ROR Pathway in Cancer: From Signaling to Therapeutic Intervention. Cells. 2021 Jan 12;10(1): 142.
Menck K, Sivaloganathan S, Bleckmann A, Binder C. Microvesicles in Cancer: Small, Large, Potential.. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 28;21(15): 5373, doi: 10.3390/ijms21155373.
Fromme JE, Schmitz K, Wachter A, Grzelinski M, Zielinski D, Koppel C, Conradi LC, Homayounfar K, Hugo T, Hugo S, Lukat L, Rüschoff J, Ströbel P, Ghadimi M, Beißbarth T, Reuter-Jessen K, Schildhaus HU, Bleckmann A. FGFR3 mRNA overexpression defines a subset of oligometastatic colorectal cancers with worse prognosis. Oncotarget. 2018 Aug 14;9(63): 32204-32218.
Menck K, Sönmezer C, Worst TS, Schulz M, Dihazi GH, Streit F, Erdmann G, Kling S, Boutros M, Binder C, Gross JC. Neutral sphingomyelinases control extracellular vesicles budding from the plasma membrane.J Extracell Vesicles. 2017 Sep 26; 6(1): 1378056. doi: 10.1080/20013078.2017.1378056. eCollection 2017.
Menck K, Bleckmann A, Wachter A, Hennies B, Ries L, Schulz M, Balkenhol M, Pukrop T, Schatlo B, Rost U, Wenzel D, Klemm F, Binder C. Characterisation of tumour-derived microvesicles in cancer patients' blood and correlation with clinical outcome.J Extracell Vesicles. 2017 Jul 16; 6(1): 1340745.
Bayerlová M, Menck K, Klemm F, Wolff A, Pukrop T, Binder C, Beißbarth T, Bleckmann A. Ror2 Signaling and Its Relevance in Breast Cancer Progression.Front Oncol. 2017 Jun 26; 7:135. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2017.00135. eCollection 2017.
Bleckmann A, Conradi LC, Menck K, Schmick NA, Schubert A, Rietkötter E, Arackal J, Middel P, Schambony A, Liersch T, Homayounfar K, Beißbarth T, Klemm F, Binder C, Pukrop T. β-catenin-independent WNT signaling and Ki67 in contrast to the estrogen receptor status are prognostic and associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer liver metastases. Clin Exp Metastasis. 2016 Apr; 33(4): 309-23. doi: 10.1007/s10585-016-9780-3. Epub 2016 Feb 9.
Dr. rer. nat. Kerstin Menck
Junior-Arbeitsgruppenleiterin
Laborleiterin
Universitätsklinikum Münster
Medizinische Klinik A
Albert Schweitzer Campus 1
Gebäude D3 (Domagkstrasse 3)
48149 Münster
T 0251 83-52713
F 0251 83-52849
kerstin.menck(at)ukmuenster(dot)de
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