Scientific Profile
Over the past decades cell death research and the clinical implications of cell death pathways for diseases and their therapeutic manipulation have been the major focus of the Debatin lab. The research of his lab covered several areas starting from the discovery of the CD95 death receptor and the CD95 system as a key apoptosis signaling pathway in 1989 via the first demonstration of apoptosis induction via physiological death system (CD95) in leukemia cells through the discovery of the participation of apoptosis signaling in anticancer therapy (1996) to recent work on understanding the role of apoptosis sensitivity and resistance for Graft-​versus-Host-Disease (GvHD) and T-​cell function (see Strauss group) as well as the prognostic impact of apoptosis sensitivity in pediatric leukemia and the development of appropriate mouse models for studying human acute lymphoblastic leukemia (see Meyer group).

A special focus within the different activities is on understanding mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance of tumor cells for anticancer therapy. This also includes the analysis of signaling pathways that may help to overcome resistance to molecular targeted therapy or conventional therapy using cytotoxic drugs and irradiation in human tumors with a particular focus on pediatric oncology. In addition to the focus on leukemia, leukemia models and neuroblastoma (see Beltinger group), glioblastoma is of particular interest