Address
Laboratory for Molecular Neuro-Oncology
Department of Neurology
University Hospital Zurich
Frauenklinikstrasse 26
8091 Zurich
The scientific focus of the Laboratory for Molecular Neuro-Oncology at the Department of Neurology is on tumor immunology and immunotherapy, treatment resistance, and the development of new therapies for patients with brain tumors.
The laboratory is located in the Haldenbach Building at the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital Zurich at Frauenklinikstrasse 26, 8091 Zurich. It is jointly led by Prof. Dr. M. Weller, Prof. Dr. P. Roth, and PD Dr. Dr. T. Weiss with the support of J. Friesen and T. Pesch (laboratory management) and K. Weissbecker (administration).
Prof. Dr. M. Weller expenses the mechanism of action of setotonin modulators, which have been identified (in cooperation with B. Snijder, Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering Basel) as a new therapeutic approach for glioblastomas using ex vivo drug sensitivity profiling (pharmacoscopy), together with S. Dahmani, J. Friesen, and T. Pesch; the significance of steroid signaling pathways, together with L. König and J. Friesen; and the tumorigenic function of telomerase, together with Y. Abdel Moneim, J. Friesen and T. Pesch.
Prof. Dr. P. Roth headed the clinical research focus “ImmunoCure” until the end of 2024, in which new immunotherapeutic treatment approaches were developed in interdisciplinary collaboration, including the characterization of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells as an approach to targeted immunotherapy for brain tumors. Dr. M. Mastall, Dr. A. Eisele, and doctoral students M. Soballa and S. Stanclik worked on projects to develop new immunotherapeutic treatment approaches for gliomas. Together with P. Will, P. Roth is also investigating epigenetic and immunological factors that contribute to long-term survival in patients with glioblastoma. P. Roth also heads the Neuroimmunology Department at the clinic. As part of a PhD project, L. Casty is working on cellular immunotherapies that are being investigated in preclinical models of inflammatory CNS diseases.
PD Dr. Dr. T. Weiss is developing new (immuno)therapeutic approaches for the treatment of gliomas and brain metastases in mouse models and early clinical trials. He is also developing new approaches for the non-invasive early diagnosis and monitoring of brain tumors in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients (liquid biopsies). In this context, he is investigating tumor-specific antibody-based therapies (together with S. Guenther) as well as adoptive cell therapies with genetically modified T/NK cells and macrophage-based therapies (together with M. Bouzereau and C. DellAnna Misurale). Furthermore, he uses innovative methods for the molecular and functional characterization of tumor tissues based on mass spectrometry for high-throughput analysis of proteins (together with A. Brzobohata and Y. Zhang) and automated microscopy and computer-assisted image analysis (in collaboration with B. Snijder, Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering Basel). Together with A. Buck and I. Sakic, he uses pharmacological and genetic high-throughput screens (CRISPR screens) to identify new therapeutic approaches.
The RCAS/tv-a gene transfer system is used to further develop syngeneic mouse models of gliomas and meningiomas whose histopathological structure, microenvironment, and molecular properties resemble those of human tumors. S. Marashli und J. Uriach bearbeiten Projekte, die diese Tumormodelle nutzen, um anti-glutamaterge Therapiestrategien zu entwickeln. They are co-supervised by PD Dr. H.G. Wirsching, who has been head of the Department of Neurology at the Cantonal Hospital in Winterthur since the end of 2024.
In cooperation with the Department of Neurosurgery (Prof. Dr. L. Regli, PD Dr. C. Serra, Dr. K. Akeret, Dr. F. Vasella, Dr. S. Voglis), a tumor bank has been established for molecular biological and immunological investigations as well as for the isolation and characterization of glioma stem cells. There is also close collaboration with the group of Prof. Dr. M. Neidert at the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen In addition to supervising joint doctoral students on third-party funded projects on T cell antigen identification in brain tumors, the collaboration also includes cooperation on several ongoing clinical trials.
In cooperation with the Departments of for Medical Oncology and Hematolgoy (PD Dr. Dr. E. Le Rhun), Neurosurgery (Prof. Dr. L. Regli) and Radiation Oncology (Prof. Dr. M. Guckenberger) and the Institute of Pathology (Prof. Dr. H. Moch), several externally funded projects are being conducted on the pathogenesis and biology of metastases of the central nervous system.
In the field of clinical neuro-oncology, the Brain Tumor Center Zurich was founded in January 2012 at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich (CCCZ) in collaboration with partner institutions in neuroradiology, neurosurgery, neuropathology, radiation oncology, oncology, nuclear medicine, and pediatric neuro-oncology. The extensive clinical studies (see below) are comprehensively supervised by two study nurses, M. Adorjani and C. Keding.
PD Dr. D. Gramatzki, Dr. A. Eisele and Dr. Y. Abdel-Moneim are conducting population-based studies on glioma disease in the Canton of Zurich. In cooperation with the centers of the German Glioma Network (coordination: PD Dr. D. Gramatzki) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) (coordination: PD Dr. Dr. E. Le Rhun), various projects in clinical, pathological, and molecular patient-oriented research are being carried out. Our group is part of the GLASS consortium and is working on characterizing the progression of low-grade gliomas (Dr. Dr. T. Weiss).
Our group was or is being funded by the Brain Tumor Funders Collaborative in the US, the Swiss National Science Foundation, Cancer Research Switzerland (Oncosuisse), the Zurich Cancer League, the Helmut Horten Foundation, the Wilhelm Sander Foundation, the EMDO Foundation, the OPO Foundation, the Hartmann-Müller Foundation, the CCCZ Lighthouse Program, the Koetser Foundation, the Sophien Foundation, the San Salvatore Foundation, the Promedica Foundation, the Desirée and Niels Yde Foundation, the Foundation for Applied Cancer Research, the Geistlich-Stucki Foundation, the EU’s Eurostars program, and the German Research Foundation. It carries out collaborative projects with the following companies: Lundbeck (Zug), MSD (Lucerne), Novartis (Basel), Novocure (Jersey Isle), Philogen (Siena), and Quercis (Zug).
Laboratory for Molecular Neuro-Oncology
Department of Neurology
University Hospital Zurich
Frauenklinikstrasse 26
8091 Zurich
You can find the members of the Neuro-Oncology Research Group here.
A selection of our research projects is listed below. An overview of the “ImmunoCure” research focus can be viewed here.
If you are interested in the clinical studies listed below at the Brain Tumor Center of the USZ, we look forward to hearing from you. A tabular overview of the currently recruiting studies with the most important inclusion criteria can also be viewed here.
Die abgeschlossenen Forschungsprojekte von PhD-Studierenden aus unserem Labor finden Sie hier aufgeführt. The relevant publications in specialist journals can be viewed via this link .
If you would like to support our scientific work in neuro-oncology with a donation, you are welcome to do so via the USZ Foundation. Under the heading “Ways to give” you will find all information on the subject of support, as well as the contact persons. Please enter “Neuro-Oncology” as the purpose of funding.