research report      name index      key word index      corresp.unit            Page in german   

Third-party-funded project

Title:
pathology of the muscle/rhabdomyosarcomas

Project management at the University of Würzburg:

• Dr. med. Stefan Gattenlöhner ,Tel: 0931-201-47793,Mail: stefan.gattenloehner@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de

Participating scientists:

• Prof. Dr. med. Alexander Marx ,Tel: 0931-201-47420,Mail: alex.marx@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de

Abstract:
The group has shown, that the fetal acetylcholine receptor, specifically its gamma subunit, is a strongly expressed and tumor specific antigen of rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS), the most common and aggressive malignant soft tissue tumors in childhood. The fetal type acetylcholine receptor is the so far onliest known tumor specific surface antigen of RMS and the group has constructed a specific immunotoxine against RMS, that binds and kills invitro RMS cells. The results of the group will have impact on the diagnosis of malignant soft tissue tumors and might open new gates in the therapy of RMS. In addition the group is working on the genetic regulation in denervated muscle and ischemic cardiomyopathy. The group has cooperations with the Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg (Dr. Ch. Schneider, Prof. Toyla) and the Department of Internal medicine, University of Würzburg (Dr. Ch. Waller, Prof. Ertl).

Key words:
    muscle pathology
    rhabdomyosarcoma

Projekt period: from 07.2000 to 06.2002

Funding institution:
Sonstige Stiftung ( Sanderstiftung )

Publications:

• Gattenlöhner, S.,Vincent, A., Leuschner, I., Tzartos, S., Müller-Hermelink, H.K., Kirchner, T., Marx, A.. (1998). The fetal form of the acetylcholine receptor distinguishes rhabdomyosarcomas from other childhood tumors. Am. J. Pathol. 152: 437-444, 7.103. (scientific article)
• Gattenlöhner, S., Müller-Hermelink, H.K., Marx, A.. (1998). Polymerase chain reaction-based diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcomas: comparison of fetal type acetylcholine receptor subunits and myogenin. Diagn. Mol. Pathol. 7: 129-134, 2.078. (scientific article)
• Gattenlöhner, S., Müller-Hermelink, H.K., Marx, A.. (1999). Transcription of the nude gene (WHN) in human normal organs and medaistinal and pulmonary tumors. Pathol. Res. Pract. 195: 571-574, 1.163. (scientific article)
• Gattenlöhner, S., Dockhorn-Dworniczak, B., Leuschner, I., Vincent, A., Müller-Hermelink, H.K., Marx, A.. (1999). A comparison of MyoD1 and fetal acetylcholine receptor expression in childhood tumors and normal tissues: implications for the molecular diagnosis of minimal disease in rhybdomyosarcomas. J. Mol. Diagn. 1: 23-31, 1.727. (scientific article)
• Gattenlöhner, S., Schneider, C., Thamer, C., Klein, R., Roggendorf, W., Gohlke, F., Niethammer, C., Czub, S, Vincent, A., Müller-Hermelink, H.K., Marx, A.. (2002). Expression of fetal type acetylcholine receptor is restricted to type 1 muscle fibers in human neuromuscular disorders. Brain 125: 1309-1319, 7.407. (scientific article)