ONCOmechanics
Cancer cells and their surrounding tissue are characterised by altered biomechanical properties. So far, it is not well understood how precisely these mechanical changes affect the cells’ metastatic potential in vivo. We address this question by mechanically characterising tumour samples to instruct physiologically relevant 3D in vitro models. The latter are employed in combination with in vivo models to systematically study the role of cell and microenvironment stiffness on tumour spheroid growth, invasion, drug resistance, and metastasis. We aim at elucidating mechanisms by which cells sense their mechanical environment in 3D and how this can be potentially exploited for new therapeutic approaches.
Our previous work has shown that growth in stiff microenvironments causes compressive stress on breast cancer spheroids, which concomitantly alters their cytoskeleton organisation, increases constituent cell stiffness and slows down cell cycle progression. This contributes to a better understanding of how tumor cells adapt their proliferation under compressive stress in confining microenvironments. To characterise cell mechanical properties from single cells to complex tissues, a toolbox of atomic force microscopy and real time deformability cytometry (RT-DC) is used.
- Investigate the link between microenvironment mechanics and spheroid growth, mechanics, and invasion using bioengineered models.
- Test the functional role of cell mechanics in cancer cell invasion and metastasis using in vitro and in vivo models.
- Unravel mechanisms of how do cells sense the mechanical properties of their 3D microenvironment.
- Identify clinical markers for individualized breast cancer therapy.
© Anna Taubenberger
Dr. Ing. Anna Taubenberger
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POSITIONS |
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| since 05/2020 | Mildred-Scheel-Nachwuchszentrum (MSNZ) research group leader affiliated with BIOTEC, TU Dresden |
| 2013-2020 | Postdoctoral Fellow, BIOTEC Dresden, Group of Cellular Machines, Prof. Jochen Guck |
| 2009-2012 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Queensland University of Technology, Group of Regenerative Medicine, Prof. Dietmar Hutmacher |
| EDUCATION | |
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| 2004-2009 | PhD thesis Faculty of Engineering, TU Dresden |
| 2001-2002 | International exchange student at the University of Talca, Chile |
| 1999-2004 | Master studies in Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dresden |
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HONORS |
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| 2010-2012 | DFG Postdoctoral Fellowship |
| 2009 | Early career fellowship, QUT Australia |
MEMBERSHIPS
2014 European association of cancer research (EACR)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Matthews HK, Ganguli S, Plak K, Taubenberger AV, Piel M, Guck J, Baum B. Oncogenic signaling alters cell shape and mechanics to facilitate cell division under confinement. Developmental Cell. 2020 Mar 9;52(5):563-573.e3.
Taubenberger A, Girardo S, Träber N, Fischer Friedrich E, Kräter M, Wagner K, Kurth T, Richter I, Haller B, Binner M, Hahn D, Freudenberg U, Werner C, Guck J, 3D microenvironment stiffness regulates tumor spheroid growth and mechanics via p21 and ROCK. Advanced Biosystems 3 (9): 1900128 (2019).
Tavares S, Vieira AF*, Taubenberger AV*, Araújo M*, Pimpao Santos Martins N, Brás-Pereira C, Polónia A, Herbig M, Barreto C, Otto O, Cardoso J, Pereira-Leal JB, Guck J, Paredes J and Janody F. Actin stress fiber organization promotes cell stiffening and proliferation of pre-invasive breast cancer cells. Nature Communications 8: 15237 (2017) *equal contribution, Citations: 27.
Martine LC, Holzapfel BM, McGovern JA, Wagner F, Quent VM, Hesami P, Wunner F, Vaquette C, De Juan Pardo E, Brown TD, Nowlan B, Jing Wu D, Hutmacher C, Moi D, Oussenko T, Piccinini E, Zandstra P, Mazzieri R, Lévesque J-P, Dalton PD, Taubenberger AV & Hutmacher DW. Engineering a humanized bone organ in mice to study bone metastases. Nature Protocols 12 (4): 639 (2017). Citations: 41.
Taubenberger AV, Bray LJ, Haller B, Shaposhnykov A, Binner M, Freudenberg U, Guck J, Werner C. 3D extracellular matrix interactions modulate tumour cell growth, invasion and angiogenesis in engineered tumour microencironments. Acta Biomaterialia. 2016 May;36:73-85 (2016). Citations: 45.
For complete publication record see ORCID
© Till Kirst
Administrative Assistant
NameMr Till Kirst
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Visiting address:
Biotechnologisches Zentrum Tatzberg 47/49
01307 Dresden
© Michael Kretzschmar
Guest Scientist
NameMs Dr. Angela Berg-Jacobi
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Visiting address:
Biotechnologisches Zentrum Tatzberg 47/49
01307 Dresden
© Michael Kretzschmar
Guest Scientist
NameMr M. Sc. Joan Carles Escolano Caselles
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Visiting address:
Biotechnologisches Zentrum Tatzberg 47/49
01307 Dresden
© Michael Kretzschmar
Guest Scientist
NameMs Marta Urbanska
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Visiting address:
Biotechnologisches Zentrum Tatzberg 47/49
01307 Dresden
Technical Assistant
NameMs Antje Garside
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Visiting address:
Biotechnologisches Zentrum Tatzberg 47/49
01307 Dresden
© 240117_Vaibhav Mahajan_Copyright-TUD-Magdalena-Gonciarz-1.jpg
PhD Student
NameMr Vaibhav Mahajan
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Visiting address:
Biotechnologisches Zentrum Tatzberg 47/49
01307 Dresden
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Matthews HK, Ganguli S, Plak K, Taubenberger AV, Piel M, Guck J, Baum B. Oncogenic signaling alters cell shape and mechanics to facilitate cell division under confinement. Developmental Cell. 2020 Mar 9;52(5):563-573.e3.
Taubenberger A, Girardo S, Träber N, Fischer Friedrich E, Kräter M, Wagner K, Kurth T, Richter I, Haller B, Binner M, Hahn D, Freudenberg U, Werner C, Guck J, 3D microenvironment stiffness regulates tumor spheroid growth and mechanics via p21 and ROCK. Advanced Biosystems 3 (9): 1900128 (2019).
Tavares S, Vieira AF*, Taubenberger AV*, Araújo M*, Pimpao Santos Martins N, Brás-Pereira C, Polónia A, Herbig M, Barreto C, Otto O, Cardoso J, Pereira-Leal JB, Guck J, Paredes J and Janody F. Actin stress fiber organization promotes cell stiffening and proliferation of pre-invasive breast cancer cells. Nature Communications 8: 15237 (2017) *equal contribution, Citations: 27.
Martine LC, Holzapfel BM, McGovern JA, Wagner F, Quent VM, Hesami P, Wunner F, Vaquette C, De Juan Pardo E, Brown TD, Nowlan B, Jing Wu D, Hutmacher C, Moi D, Oussenko T, Piccinini E, Zandstra P, Mazzieri R, Lévesque J-P, Dalton PD, Taubenberger AV & Hutmacher DW. Engineering a humanized bone organ in mice to study bone metastases. Nature Protocols 12 (4): 639 (2017). Citations: 41.
Taubenberger AV, Bray LJ, Haller B, Shaposhnykov A, Binner M, Freudenberg U, Guck J, Werner C. 3D extracellular matrix interactions modulate tumour cell growth, invasion and angiogenesis in engineered tumour microencironments. Acta Biomaterialia. 2016 May;36:73-85 (2016). Citations: 45.
For complete publication record see ORCID
LINKS
BIOTEChnology Center TU Dresden
CONTACT
© Marc Eisele
Visiting address:
Biotechnologisches Zentrum (BIOTEC), Room 323 Tatzberg 47/49
01307 Dresden
Postal address:
TUD Dresden University of Technology
Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB)
Biotechnologisches Zentrum (BIOTEC)
Dr. Anna Taubenberger
Tatzberg 47/49
01307 Dresden