The general focus of our translational research is the discovery and validation of predictive biomarkers to guide treatment in head and neck cancer.

Despite some advances in the treatment within the last couple of years head and neck cancer remains a devastating disease with limited survival in the recurrent/metastatic situation. Therefore, novel treatment targets, new drug combinations and patient individualized treatment approaches are needed.

Through a close collaboration with epo GmbH we established the largest head and neck cancer xenograft platform in europe. Those PDX are employed for clinically relevant research questions and mimicry of clinical trials.

Validation of preclinical findings are performed in retrospective as well as prospective clinical trials populations within our institution. Recently we focused on the predictive and prognostic role of molecular subtypes of head and neck cancer based on gene expression profiles.

_{Figure1: The graph displays the head and neck cancer platform comprising 66 extensively characterized models resembling the heterogeneity of the disease. Clinical data are collected for all established models. Furthermore, drug and radiation screening is done for all models to establish basic sensitivity profiles for standard of care compounds. Mutational profiles, gene expression analysis and proteomic and phospho-proteomic profiles complement the tumor profiling.}