Background and current state of research
My work is focussed on the tumor biology of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). For HNSCC there are numerous mechanisms of immune escape described. Against this background we are investigating some signal transduction pathways and networks in permanent HNSCC cell lines as well as in solid HNSCC. Furthermore we are trying to figure out the involvement of the microbiome of the head and neck in this context.
Our goals
With this project we are trying to figure out the interaction of the HNSCC tumor cells and the environment and how this interaction can be influenced. Furthermore we want to work out which receptors and signal transduction pathways play a role in this context.
How to get there
We will perform in vitro experiments with HNSCC cell lines and also do some work with tissue from HNSCC patients. We will use a broad spectrum of methods such as PCR, Western Blot, Immunofluorescence, ELISA etc.