Matthias Friedrich

Persistent intestinal inflammation can favour and expedite the occurrence of colorectal cancer. Conversely, colorectal tumours can also elicit intestinal inflammation. Despite this unequivocal association of inflammation and cancer, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are largely unknown. Recently, inflammatory effector functions of stromal cells have been reported and stromal cell signatures were prominently associated with poor-prognosis in CRC. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that colorectal cancers adapt the inflammatory stromal cell response to sustain their growth.

My research focuses on the characterisation of different intestinal stromal cell lineages in the human intestine and their contribution to inflammation and tumorigenesis. Insights from these studies could finally deliver novel targets for the rational design of therapeutic and diagnostic modalities in colorectal cancer.