Research Profile
The main interest of our group is in the analysis of human memory B cell generation and differentiation, in the biology and pathogenesis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated diseases, and the pathogenesis of human B cell lymphomas.
We are especially interested in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin lymphoma. In current projects, we are analysing mRNA expression in Hodgkin cells and search for transforming events.
Given the emerging importance of deregulated expression of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of lymphomas and other tumours, we also study microRNA expression in microdissected Hodgkin cells to reveal the role of such non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin lymphoma and in the differentiation of the lymphoma cells, which is characterised by a global loss of the B cell phenotype.

Selected Publications
Stanelle J, Döring C, Hansmann M-L, Küppers R. (2010) Mechanisms of aberrant GATA-3 expression in classical Hodgkin lymphoma and its consequences for the cytokine profile of Hodgkin and Reed/Sternberg cells. Blood, early online July 26, 2010

Seifert M, Küppers R. (2009) Molecular footprints of a germinal center derivation of human IgM+(IgD+)CD27+ B cells and the dynamics of memory B cell generation. J. Exp. Med., 206, 2659-2669

Schmitz R, Hansmann M-L, Bohle V, Martin-Subero JI, Hartmann S, Mechtersheimer G, Klapper W, Vater I, Giefing M, Gesk S, Stanelle J, Siebert R, Küppers R. (2009) TNFAIP3 (A20) is a tumor suppressor gene in Hodgkin lymphoma and primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma. J. Exp. Med., 206, 981-989

Brune V, Tiacci E, Pfeil I, Döring C, Eckerle S, van Noesel CJM, Klapper W, Falini B, von Heydebreck A, Metzler D, Bräuninger A, Hansmann M-L, Küppers R. (2008) Origin and pathogenesis of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma as revealed by global gene expression analysis. J. Exp. Med., 205, 2251-2268

Bräuninger A, Schmitz R, Bechtel D, Renné C, Hansmann M-L, Küppers R (2006) Molecular biology of Hodgkin's and Reed/Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's lymphoma. Int. J. Cancer, 118, 1853-1861.

Küppers R, Klein U, Schwering I, Distler V, Bräuninger A, Cattoretti G, Tu Y, Stolovitzky GA, Califano A, Hansmann M-L, Dalla-Favera R (2003) Identification of Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cell-specific genes by gene expression profiling. J. Clin. Invest., 111, 529-537.

Schwering I, Bräuninger A, Klein U, Jungnickel B, Tinguely M, Diehl V, Hansmann M-L, Dalla-Favera R, Rajewsky K, Küppers R (2003) Loss of the B lineage-specific gene expression program in Hodgkin and Reed/Sternberg cells of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Blood, 101, 1505-1512.