Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf

The Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery is part of the University Clinic of the Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf. It has ample experience in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Since years, innovative clinical tools for the early detection of squamous cell carinomas are used in clinical practice like DNA cytometry (detection of aneupleudy) especially for early diagnosis of oral cancer. Innovative imaging techniques including the clinical implementation of 3D reconstructions and innovative intraoperative navigation strategies as well as the application of mechatronic devices in cancer patients are utilized by our clinical research group. Prof. Schipper is also head of the Research Units 1585 “Multi-Port-Knochenchirurgie am Beispiel der Otobasis (MUKNO)” at the DFG (German Research Foundation), the self-governing organisation for science and research in Germany. Furthermore our department possesses a laboratory with more than 15 researchers. During the last years, translational oncologic research has been focused on 1) tumorsuppressors e.g. p53 , 2) HPV infections, 3) Cisplatin-resistance, 4) DNA-Repair mechanisms, 5) Genetic instability and 6) Genetic predisposition in Head and Neck cancer in collaboration with Prof. Helmut Hanenberg and a close cooperation with the University of Indianapolis, USA. The laboratory has great experience in the use of different molecular biological methods. It is authorized for genetic safety step 2 studies and is therefore also allowed to use methods like retroviral transduction of DNA into cells.