Michael Grusch, Assoc. Prof. Priv.-Doz. Mag. Dr.
Group Leader
E-Mail: michael.grusch [at] meduniwien [dot] ac [dot] at
Phone: +43 (0)1 40160 - 57556
Fax: +43 (0)1 40160 - 957555
Research Focus
Our research is focused on growth factors and their receptors involved in cancer cell growth and drug resistance. We aim to (1.) understand how growth factor signals contribute to malignancy (2.) translate this knowledge into strategies for therapeutic interventions and (3.) characterize the mechanisms that determine sensitivity or resistance of tumors to molecularly targeted therapeutics.
Within this area we are interested on the one hand in receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and epidermal growth factor recetor (EGFR, erbb) families which are (over)activated in many human cancer types and on the other hand in activins. The latter are cytokines of the transforming growth factor (TGF) beta family and act as regulators of cell differentiation and cell death in a tissue-specific manner. Their activity is stringently controlled by antagonistic follistatin proteins.
Videos
Selected Publications:
FGF2 and EGF induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition in malignant pleural mesothelioma cells via a MAPKinase/MMP1 signal. Schelch K, Wagner C, Hager S, Pirker C, Siess K, Lang E, Lin R, Kirschner MB, Mohr T, Brcic L, Marian B, Holzmann K, Grasl-Kraupp B, Krupitza G, Laszlo V, Klikovits T, Dome B, Hegedus B, Garay T, Reid G, van Zandwijk N, Klepetko W, Berger W, Grusch M, Hoda MA.
Carcinogenesis. 2018 Apr 5;39(4):534-545
FGF5 is expressed in melanoma and enhances malignancy in vitro and in vivo. Ghassemi S, Vejdovszky K, Sahin E, Ratzinger L, Schelch K, Mohr T, Peter-Vörösmarty B, Brankovic J, Lackner A, Leopoldi A, Meindl D, Pirker C, Hegedus B, Marian B, Holzmann K, Grasl-Kraupp B, Heffeter P, Berger W, Grusch M.
Oncotarget. 2017 Sep 23;8(50):87750-87762
Light-assisted small-molecule screening against protein kinases.
Inglés-Prieto Á, Reichhart E, Muellner MK, Nowak M, Nijman SM, Grusch M, Janovjak H.;
Nat Chem Biol. 2015 Oct 12
The Optogenetic Promise for Oncology: Episode I
Ingles-Prieto A, Reichhart E, Schelch K, Janovjak H, Grusch M.;
Molecular and Cellular Oncology (2014), DOI:10.4161/23723548.2014.964045
Fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibition is active against mesothelioma and synergizes with radio- and chemotherapy.
Schelch K, Hoda MA, Klikovits T, Münzker J, Ghanim B, Wagner C, Garay T, Laszlo V, Setinek U, Dome B, Filipits M, Pirker C, Heffeter P, Selzer E, Tovari J, Torok S, Kenessey I, Holzmann K, Grasl-Kraupp B, Marian B, Klepetko W, Berger W, Hegedus B, Grusch M.;
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2014 Oct 1;190(7):763-72
Spatio-temporally precise activation of engineered receptor tyrosine kinases by light.
Grusch M, Schelch K, Riedler R, Reichhart E, Differ C, Berger W, Inglés-Prieto Á, Janovjak H.;
EMBO J. 2014 Aug 1;33(15):1713-26
Bay11-7082 inhibits the disintegration of the lymphendothelial barrier triggered by MCF-7 breast cancer spheroids; the role of ICAM-1 and adhesion.
Viola K, Kopf S, Huttary N, Vonach C, Kretschy N, Teichmann M, Giessrigl B, Raab I, Stary S, Krieger S, Keller T, Bauer S, Hantusch B, Szekeres T, de Martin R, Jäger W, Mikulits W, Dolznig H, Krupitza G, Grusch M.;
Br J Cancer. 2013 Feb 19;108(3):564-9