Distant metastasis is responsible for over 90% of deaths in cancer patients. Metastasis is an exceedingly complex process that involves an interplay between cancer cells and the microenvironment as well as intrinsic pathways in cancer cells. During metastasis, cancer cells undergo intravasation, transport through the circulatory system, arrest at a secondary site, extravasation, invasion of adjacent tissues, and growth in a secondary organ. Cancer cells undergo important metabolic changes that enable them to survive dissemination through the metastatic cascade.

Our labs focus is to better understand how metastatic melanoma cells adapt their metabolism at different stages of metastasis and to characterize the metabolic plasticity in metastatic melanoma tumors to dissect stage-specific metabolic adaptations for novel therapeutic strategies.

Distant metastasis is responsible for over 90% of deaths in cancer patients. Metastasis is an exceedingly complex process that involves an interplay between cancer cells and the microenvironment as well as intrinsic pathways in cancer cells. During metastasis, cancer cells undergo intravasation, transport through the circulatory system, arrest at a secondary site, extravasation, invasion of adjacent tissues, and growth in a secondary organ. Cancer cells undergo important metabolic changes that enable them to survive dissemination through the metastatic cascade.

Our labs focus is to better understand how metastatic melanoma cells adapt their metabolism at different stages of metastasis and to characterize the metabolic plasticity in metastatic melanoma tumors to dissect stage-specific metabolic adaptations for novel therapeutic strategies.

ERC Starting Grant
Emmy Noether Group Leaderㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
Peter Hofschneider endowed professor

Univ-Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat.
Alpaslan Tasdogan

Oberarzt, Institutsleiter Tumormetabolismus
Facharzt für Haut- und Geschlechtskrankheiten

Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr. rer. nat.
Luiza Martins Nascentes Melo

Junior Group Leader

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Dr.
Natalie Wagner

Postdoctoral Researcher

Physician Scientists

Dr. med.
Anna-Sophia Leven

Fachärztin für Haut- und Geschlechtskrankheiten

Dr. med.
Valeria Rieß

Assistenzärztin

Technician

Gabriele Allies

Senior Technician

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Jonathan Krystkiewicz

Technician, Bachelor of Science

Students

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Feyza Cansiz

PhD-Student, M.SC.

Jonas Rösler

PhD-Student, M.SC.