Göttinger Graduiertenzentrum für Neurowissenschaften, Biophysik und Molekulare Biowissenschaften

Hahn, Heidi, Prof. Dr.

Professor of Molecular Developmental Genetics


  • Dr. med., University of Würzburg, 1992
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA (1993 -1998)
  • Junior Group Leader (BioFuture), Technical University of Munich (1999 - 2000)
  • Professor of Molecular Developmental Genetics, University of Göttingen since 2001



Major Research Interests

Cancer is a disease that results from inappropriate cell division induced by hyperproliferation. In many cases, the development of cancer is associated with genes or signaling pathways important for patterning during embryogenesis.
We investigate the role of the Hedgehog/Patched (Hh/Ptch) signaling cascade in the development of solid tumors. The focus is on rhabdomyosarcoma and basal cell carcinoma. In addition, we are investigating the role of Hh/Ptch signaling in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and adenoma of the pituitary gland.
The first aim is the discovery of molecular and cellular events that trigger the initiation of Hh associated tumors. The second aim is to elucidate the function Hh signaling during tumor progression. The third goal is the identification of drugs that target Hh/Ptch-associated solid tumors. To test the anti-tumor activity of the drugs we use tumor-bearing Ptch mutant mice.



Homepage Department/Research Group

http://www.humangenetik-umg.de/forschung/#molekulare-entwicklungsgenetik


Selected Recent Publications


  • Becker M, Bauer J, Pyczek J, König S, Müllen A, Rabe H, Schön MP, Uhmann A, Hahn H (2020)
    Wif1 suppresses the generation of suprabasal cells in acanthotic skin and growth of basal cell carcinomas upon forced overexpression. J Invest Dermatol 2020, Aug;140(8): 1556-1565.e11
  • Pyczek J, Khizanishvili N, Kuzyakova M, Zabel S, Bauer J, Nitzki F, Emmert S, Schön MP, Boukamp P, Schildhaus HU, Uhmann A, Hahn H (2019) Regulation and role of GLI1 in cSCC pathogenesis. Front Genet, Dec 4: 10:1185
  • Pelczar P; Zibat Z; van Dop WA; Heijmans J; Bleckmann A; Gruber W; Nitzki F; Uhmann A; Guijarro MV; Hernando E; Dittmann K; Wienands J; Dressel R; Wojnowski L; Binder C; Taguchi T; Beissbarth T; Hogendoorn PCW; Antonescu CR; Rubin BP; Schulz-Schaeffer W; Aberger F; van den Brink GR; Hahn H (2013). Inactivation of patched1 in mice leads to development of gastrointestinal stromal-like tumors that express pdgfr? but not kit. Gastroenterology 144(1): 134 -144.e6
  • Nitzki F, Zibat A, König S, Wijgerde M, Rosenberger A, Brembeck F, Carstens PO, Frommhold A, Uhmann A, Klingler S, Reifenberger J, Pukrop T, Aberger F, Schulz-Schaeffer W, Hahn H (2010) Tumor stroma-derived Wnt5a induces differentiation of basal cell carcinoma of Ptch mutant mice via CaMKII. Cancer Research 70: 2739-48
  • Uhmann A, Dittmann K, Nitzki F, Dressel R, Koleva M, Frommhold A, Zibat A, Binder C, Adham I, Nitsche M, Heller T, Armstrong V, Schulz-Schaeffer W, Wienands J, Hahn H (2007) The Hedgehog receptor Patched controls lymphoid lineage commitment. Blood 110: 1814-23
  • Hahn H, Wicking C, Zaphiropoulos P, Gailani M, Shanley S, Chidambaram A, Vorechovsky I, Holmberg E, Unden A, Gillies S, Negus K, Smyth I, Pressman C, Leffell D, Gerrard B, Goldstein A, Wainright B, Toftgard R, Chenevix-Trench G, Dean M, Bale A (1996) Mutations of the human homologue of Drosophila patched in the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Cell 85: 841-51