Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Hessmann, Elisabeth, Prof. Dr. med.

Professor of Genome Dynamics in Pancreatic Cancer


  • Since 2021 Professorship Genome Dynamics in Pancreatic Cancer
  • Since 2020 Scientific Leader of the DFG-funded Clinical Research Unit KFO 5002
  • 2016-2021 Junior Group Leader funded by the “Niedersächsisches MWK”/Volkswagenstiftung in the Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, University of Göttingen
  • 2017 Habilitation (Venia legendi: Molecular Medicine)
  • Since 2014 Group Leader in the Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, University of Göttingen
  • 2012-2014 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Laboratory for signaling and transcription, Philipps University Marburg
  • 2012 Dr. med., Philipps University Marburg
  • 2012 Full “Approbation” as Physician, Philipps University Marburg
  • 2005-2012 Studies of Human Medicine, Philipps University Marburg



Major Research Interests


    Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease which is characterized by a very complex cellular composition and a highly heterogeneous molecular makeup. My group aims at elucidating the implications of chromatin-associated mechanisms in the development, progression and therapy resistance of PDAC. We utilize murine and human PDAC cell models for in depth biochemical and molecular studies including genome-wide binding and expression analyses to understand the consequences of altered chromatin regulation on key transcriptional processes driving PDAC development or progression. These mechanistic studies are combined with translational approaches utilizing transgenic mouse models as well as Patient-Derived (PDX) PDAC models to explore the potential of targeting chromatin regulatory proteins for PDAC treatment.



Homepage Department/Research Group

https://gastroenterologie.umg.eu/forschung/working-groups/working-group-hessmann/

https://gccc.umg.eu/en/cru-5002/


Selected Recent Publications


  • Patil S, Steuber B, Kopp W, Kari V, Urbach L, Wang X, Kuffer S, Bohnenberger H, Spyropoulou D, Zhang Z, Versemann L, Bösherz M.S., Brunner M, Gaedcke J, Ströbel P, Zhang J, Neesse A, Ellenrieder V, Singh S.K, Johnsen S.A., Hessmann E (2020). EZH2 Regulates Pancreatic Cancer Subtype Identity and Tumor Progression via Transcriptional Repression of GATA6. Cancer Res, 80:4620-4632.

  • Gout J, Perkhofer L, Morawe M, Arnold F, Ihle M, Biber S, Lange S, Roger E, Kraus J.M, Stifter K, Hahn S.A, Zamperone A, Engleitner T, Müller M, Walter K, Rodriguez-Aznar E, Sainz B Jr, Hermann PC, Hessmann E, Müller S, Azoitei N, Lechel A, Liebau S, Wagner M, Simeone D.M, Kestler H.A, Seufferlein T, Wiesmüller L, Rad R, Frapport PO, Kleger A (2020). Synergistic targeting and resistance to PARP inhibition in DNA damage repair-deficient pancreatic cancer. Gut. Sep 1;gutjnl-2019-319970.

  • Hasselluhn MC, Schmidt GE, Ellenrieder V, Johnsen SA, Hessmann E (2019). Aberrant NFATc1 signaling counteracts TGFβ-mediated growth arrest and apoptosis induction in pancreatic cancer progression. Cell Death Dis. 10:446

  • Chen NM, Neesse A, Dyck ML, Steuber B, Koenig AO, Lubeseder-Martellato C, Winter T, Forster T, Bohnenberger H, Kitz J, Jessen KR, Griesmann H, Gaedcke J, Grade M, Zhang JS, Tsai WC, Siveke J, Schildhaus HU, Ströbel P, Johnsen SA, Ellenrieder V, Hessmann E (2017). Context-dependent Epigenetic Regulation of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells 1 in Pancreatic Plasticity. Gastroenterology 152:1507.

  • Chen NM, Singh G, Koenig A, Liou GY, Storz P, Zhang JS, Regul L, Nagarajan S, Kühnemuth B, Johnsen SA, Hebrok M, Siveke J, Billadeau DD, Ellenrieder V, Hessmann E (2015). NFATc1 links EGFR activation to induction of Sox9 transcription and acinar-ductal transdifferentiation in the pancreas. Gastroenterology 148:1024.