Department of Medicine I (Division of Oncology)
Position: Associate Professor
anna.berghoff@meduniwien.ac.at
Keywords
Brain tumor biomarkers; Individualized Medicine; Neurooncology; Oncology; Translational Medical Research
Research group(s)
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy
Head: Matthias Preusser
Research Area: The Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy aims to provide a comprehensive 360° biomarker including various tissue-based, blood-based and radiology-based information of a particular patient for prediction of response to immune checkpoint-inhibition.
Members: - Christian Doppler Laboratory for Pesonalized Immunotherapy
Head: Matthias Preusser
Research Area: Immunotherapy of cancer represents a major breakthrough in oncology as long-term disease control can be achieved in some patients even in advanced disease stages. Immune checkpoint inhibitors activate the patient’s own immune system in order to enhance the anti-tumor immune reaction. However, only a fraction of patients responds to the currently available immunotherapies, while a clinically relevant fraction presents with primary resistance. Biomarkers reliably predicting which patients respon
Members:
Research interests
My research focuses on advancing our understanding of cancer immunology and improving therapeutic outcomes for patients with solid cancers. My work is centered on dissecting the intricate steps of the cancer immune cycle, which involves understanding how immune cells interact with tumors and influence disease progression. A key aspect of my research is the identification and development of novel biomarkers to better predict disease course and therapeutic responses, with a focus on patient-specific characteristics that impact treatment efficacy. In addition to these translational efforts,I am dedicated to exploring new treatment strategies for primary and secondary brain tumors. By leveraging clinical trial data, my research aims to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical application, ultimately improving treatment options and outcomes for patients. My multidisciplinary approach integrates immunology, oncology, and precision/personalized medicine to tailor therapies based on individual patient profiles, with the goal of enhancing both survival and quality of life for patients battling brain tumors and other solid malignancies.
Techniques, methods & infrastructure
- Immune Profiling and Flow Cytometry
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
- Biomarker Discovery
- Methylation Analysis - Illumina iScan
- BioBanking
- Patient Reported Outcomes
Selected publications
- Berghoff, A.S. et al. (2014) ‘Programmed death ligand 1 expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in glioblastoma’, Neuro-Oncology, 17(8), pp. 1064–1075. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/nou307.
- Osswald, M. et al. (2015) ‘Brain tumour cells interconnect to a functional and resistant network’, Nature, 528(7580), pp. 93–98. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature16071.
- Le Rhun, E. et al. (2021) ‘EANO–ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with brain metastasis from solid tumours’, Annals of Oncology, 32(11), pp. 1332–1347. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2021.07.016.
- Berghoff, A.S. et al. (2017) ‘Correlation of immune phenotype with IDH mutation in diffuse glioma’, Neuro-Oncology, 19(11), pp. 1460–1468. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/nox054.
- Mair, M.J. et al. (2021) ‘A basic review on systemic treatment options in WHO grade II-III gliomas’, Cancer Treatment Reviews, 92, p. 102124. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctrv.2020.102124.