Principal Investigator Dr. med. Sonja Wörmann

• Dr. med. Sonja Wörmann (PI)
• Norbert Kreisz M.sc., PhD student
• Intisar Salim M.sc., PhD student
• Marija Simic M.sc.

Large-scale sequencing studies identified APOBEC cytidine deaminases as key drivers of mutagenesis and chromosomal aberrations in solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer. As important drivers of genomic and phenotypic plasticity, APOBEC enzymes may promote carcinogenesis, the ability of tumors to metastasize, and the development of drug resistance.
 
Our research group studies the role of APOBEC cytidine deaminases in tumor evolution, tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, and therapy resistance. We investigate how APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis, genomic aberrations, and post-translational modifications impact the pathogenesis and disease progression in cancer and inflammatory diseases. Our lab collaborates closely with research groups at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

> Sonja Woermann's Bibliography - NCBI

1. Alonso-Nocelo M, Ruiz-Cañas L, Sancho P, Görgülü K, Alcalá S, Pedrero C, Vallespinos M, Carlos López-Gil J, Ochando M, García-García E, Maria David Trabulo S, Martinelli P, Sánchez-Tomero P, Sánchez-Palomo C, Gonzalez-Santamaría P, Yuste, L, Wörmann SM, Kabacaoğlu D, Earl J, Martin A, Salvador F, Valle S, Martin-Hijano L, Carrato A, Erkan M, García-Bermejo L, Hermann PC, Algül H, Moreno-Bueno G, Heeschen C, Portillo F, Cano A, Sainz , Jr B. Macrophages direct cancer cells through a LOXL2-mediated metastatic cascade in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Gut 2023 Feb;72(2):345-350.
2. Rupani DN, Thege I, Chandra V, Rajaei H, Cowan RW, Wörmann SM, Le Roux O, Malaney P, Manning SL, Hashem J, Bailey-Lundberg J, Rhim AD, MCAllister, F. Adar1 deletion causes degeneration of the exocrine pancreas via Mavs-dependent interferon signaling. Development. 2023 Jan 15;150(2): dev201097. 
3. Thege I, Rupani DN, Barathi BB, Manning SL, Maitra A, Rhim AD, Wörmann SM*. Programmable in vivo CRISPR activation elucidates the oncogenic and immunosuppressive role of MYC in lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res. 2022; canres.4009.2021
4. Hosein AN, Dangol G, Okumura T, Roszik J, Rajapakshe K, Siemann M, Ghosh B, Monberg M, Guerrero PA, Zaid M, Singhi A, Haymaker CL, Clevers H, Abou-Elkacem L, Wörmann SM*, Maitra A*. Loss of Rnf43 accelerates Kras-mediated neoplasia and remodels the tumor immune microenvironment in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Rnf43 accelerates Kras-mediated neoplasia and remodels the tumor immune microenvironment in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterology. 2021 Dec 29; S0016-5085(21). 
5.  Wörmann SM, Zhang A, Thege FT, Cowan RW, Rupani DN, Wang R, Manning SL, Gates C, Wu W, Levin-Klein R, Yu M, Multani AS, Kang Y, Taniguchi CM, Katz MGH, Kim M, Fleming JB, Gallinger S, Maddipati R, Harris RS, Notta F, Maitra A, Ross RS, and Rhim AD. APOBEC3A Drives Deaminase Domain Independent Chromosomal Instability to Promote Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis. Nature Cancer 2021.Nov. 10.1038/s43018-021-00268-8.
6. Ai, J.*, Wörmann, S.M.*, Gorgulu, K. *, Vallespinos, M., Zagorac, S., Alcala, S., Wu, N., Kabacaoglu, D., Berninger, A., Navarro, D., et al. (2021). Bcl3 Couples Cancer Stem Cell Enrichment With Pancreatic Cancer Molecular Subtypes. Gastroenterology. 10.1053/j.gastro. 2021.03.051.
7. Pfeiler S, Thakur M, Grünauer P, Megens RTA, Joshi U, Coletti R, Samara V, Müller-Stoy G, Ishikawa-Ankerhold H, Stark K, Klingl A, Fröhlich T, Arnold GJ, Wörmann S, Bruns CJ, Algül H, Weber C, Massberg S, Engelmann B. CD36-triggered cell invasion and persistent tissue colonization by tumor microvesicles during metastasis. FASEB J. 2019 Feb;33(2):1860-1872.
8. Görgülü K, Diakopoulos KN, Ai J, Schoeps B, Kabacaoglu D, Karpathaki AF, Ciecielski KJ, Kaya-Aksoy E, Ruess DA, Berninger A, Kowalska M, Stevanovic M, Wörmann SM, Wartmann T, Zhao Y, Halangk W, Voronina S, Tepikin A, Schlitter AM, Steiger K, Artati A, Adamski J, Aichler M, Walch A, Jastroch M, Hartleben G, Mantzoros CS, Weichert W, Schmid RM, Herzig S, Krüger A, Sainz B Jr, Lesina M, Algül H. Levels of the Autophagy-Related 5 Protein Affect Progression and Metastasis of Pancreatic Tumors in Mice. Gastroentrology. 2019 Jan;156(1):203-217.e20.
9. Ruess DA, Heynen GJ, Ciecielski KJ, Ai J, Berninger A, Kabacaoglu D, Görgülü K, Dantes Z, Wörmann SM, Diakopoulos KN, Karpathaki AF, Kowalska M, Kaya-Aksoy E, Song L, van der Laan EAZ, López-Alberca MP, Nazaré M, Reichert M, Saur D, Erkan MM, Hopt UT, Sainz B Jr, Birchmeier W, Schmid RM, Lesina M, Algül H. Mutant KRAS-driven cancers depend on PTPN11/SHP2 phosphatase. Nat Med. 2018 Jul;24(7):954-960.
10. Stark K, Schubert I, Joshi U, Kilani B, Hoseinpour P, Thakur M, Grünauer P, Pfeiler S, Schmidergall T, Stockhausen S, Bäumer M, Chandraratne S, von Brühl ML, Lorenz M, Coletti R, Reese S, Laitinen I, Wörmann SM, Algül H, Bruns CJ, Ware J, Mackman N, Engelmann B, Massberg S. Distinct Pathogenesis of Pancreatic Cancer Microvesicle-Associated Venous Thrombosis Identifies New Antithrombotic Targets In Vivo. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2018 Apr;38(4):772-786.
11. Ruess DA, Görgülü K, Wörmann SM, Algül H. Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Current and Emerging Concepts. Drugs Aging. 2017 May;34(5):331-357.
12.  Lesina M, Wörmann SM, Morton J, Diakopoulos KN, Korneeva O, Wimmer M, Einwächter H, Sperveslage J, Demir IE, Kehl T, Saur D, Sipos B, Heikenwälder M, Steiner JM, Wang TC, Sansom OJ, Schmid RM, Algül H. RelA regulates CXCL1/ CXCR2-dependent oncogene-induced senescence in murine Kras-driven pancreatic carcinogenesis.J Clin Invest. 2016 Aug 1;126(8):2919-32.
13. Wörmann SM*, Song L*, Ai J, Diakopoulos KN, Kurkowski MU, Görgülü K, Ruess D, Campbell A, Doglioni C, Jodrell D, Neesse A, Demir IE, Karpathaki AP, Barenboim M, Hagemann T, Rose-John S, Sansom O, Schmid RM, Protti MP, Lesina M, Algül H. Loss of P53 Function Activates Jak2-STAT3 Signaling to Promote Pancreatic Tumor Growth, Stroma Modification, and Gemcitabine Resistance in Mice and Is Associated With Patient Survival. Gastroenterology. 2016 Jul;151(1):180-193.e12.
14. De Monte L, Wörmann S, Brunetto E, Heltai S, Magliacane G, Reni M, Paganoni AM, Recalde H, Mondino A, Falconi M, Aleotti F, Balzano G, Algül H, Doglioni C, Protti MP. 
    Basophil Recruitment into Tumor-Draining Lymph Nodes Correlates with Th2 Inflammation and Reduced Survival in Pancreatic Cancer.Cancer Res. 2016 Apr 1;76(7):1792-803.
15. Song L*, Wörmann S*, Ai J, Neuhöfer P, Lesina M, Diakopoulos KN, Ruess D, Treiber M, Witt H, Bassermann F, Halangk W, Steiner JM, Esposito I, Rosendahl J, Schmid RM, Riemann M, Algül H. BCL3 Reduces the Sterile Inflammatory Response in Pancreatic and Billary Tissues.Gastroenterology. 2016 Feb;150(2):499-512.
16. Demir IE, Tieftrunk E, Schorn S, Saricaoglu ÖC, Pfitzinger PL, Teller S, Wang K, Waldbaur C, Kurkowski MU, Wörmann SM, Shaw VE, Kehl T, Laschinger M, Costello E, Algül H, Friess H, Ceyhan GO.Activated Schwann cells in pancreatic cancer are linked to analgesia via suppression of spinal astroglia and microglia. Gut. 2016 Jan 13. pii: gutjnl-2015-309784. 
17. Diakopoulos KN, Lesina M, Wörmann SM, Song L, Aichler M, Schild L, Artati A, Römisch-Margl W, Wartmann T, Fischer R, Kabiri Y, Zischka H, Halangk W, Demir IE, Pilsak C, Walch A, Mantzoros CS, Steiner JM, Erkan M, Schmid RM, Witt H, Adamski J, Algül H. Impaired autophagy induces chronic atrophic pancreatitis in mice via sex- and nutrition-dependent processes. Gastroenterology. 2015 Mar; 148(3):626-638.
18. Lesina M, Wörmann SM, Neuhöfer P, Song L, Algül H. Interleukin-6 in inflammatory and malignant diseases of the pancreas.Semin Immunol. 2014 Feb;26(1):80-7. Review.
19. Wörmann SM, Algül H.Risk Factors and Therapeutic Targets in Pancreatic Cancer. Front Oncol. 2013 Nov 18;3:282. Review.
20. Wörmann SM, Diakopoulos KN, Lesina M, Algül H.The immune network in pancreatic cancer development and progression. Oncogene. 2013 Jul 15. Review.
21. Neuhöfer P, Liang S, Einwächter H, Schwerdtfeger C, Wartmann T, Treiber M, Zhang H, Schulz HU, Dlubatz K, Lesina M, Diakopoulos KN, Wörmann S, Halangk W, Witt H, Schmid RM, Algül H.Deletion of IkBa activates RelA to reduce acute pancreatitis in mice through up-regulation of Spi2A.Gastroenterology. 2013 Jan;144(1):192-201.
22. Wörmann S, Meining A, Hartel M, Ludwig L, Prinz C, Gaa J, Schulz S, Schmid RM, Algül H. 74-year-old patient with cystic pancreatic lesions. An endoscopy-based algorithm. Internist (Berl). 2011 Mar; 52(3):318-23. German.

Should you be interested in an experimental doctoral or master's thesis, we look forward to hearing from you via email: sonja.woermann@tum.de.

• Deutsche Krebshilfe, Max-Eder Nachwuchsgruppenleiter
• US Army, Department of Defense
• DKTK Fellow Funds
• TUM Junior Fellow Funds
• TUM Global Incentive Fund