Research

Tumor and Stem Cell Dynamics

Cell identity is not a hard-coded attribute, but rather a feature that is dynamically gained or lost during interaction of a cell with its environment. This fundamental process guides regeneration of all tissues but also drives cancer progression when tissue repair gets out of hand. The Gehart group aims to unravel the intricate interactions between adult stem cells/tumor cells and their environment in vivo and to develop new technologies to study these mechanisms in vitro. By combining organoid technology, advanced reporter systems and single-cell sequencing we seek to uncover the common guiding principles of regeneration and tumorigenesis. The ultimate goal of our effort is to devise new treatment strategies that enhance the inherent regenerative capacity of damaged tissues and prevent tumour spread.