Our group focuses on uncovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing complex metabolic diseases and cancer with an emphasis on lifestyle interventions and/or combinatorial drug treatments. We have a long-standing interest in studying pathways involved in nutrient signalling and chronic inflammation in liver disease and cancer. Our primary focus is on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) as well as subsequent liver cancer. NAFLD has now become the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide and poses a huge unmet clinical need. We strive to unravel the underlying mechanisms that link diet, physical activity, and behavioural changes to metabolic health and cancer progression. These studies are carried out by combining classical biochemical and cellular work with in vivo studies in pre-clinical mouse models and state of the art multiomic approaches with the final goal of translating these findings into clinical applications to benefit patients. With a strong focus on translational research, we aim to bridge the gap between scientific discoveries and practical applications in clinical settings.
Lifestyle Interventions in Metabolic Diseases and Cancer
Dr. Suchira Gallage
Head of the research group
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Biosketch
Dr. Suchira Gallage is a biomedical scientist with a strong interest and expertise in nutrient signalling pathways in metabolic diseases (e.g., NAFLD/NASH) and cancer as well as in cellular senescence and aging. His Doctoral and Post-doctoral studies took place at Imperial College London and at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), respectively. His PhD focused on unravelling the role of nutrient signalling pathways in cellular senescence, aging and liver disease. This was further strengthened in his Postdoctoral tenure where he focused on metabolic/lifestyle interventions and/or chronic inflammatory signalling in NASH and Liver Cancer. He is currently heading a Junior Group at the M3 Research Institute in the University of Tübingen.
Co-affiliations
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Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
NAFLD
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
link
between diet, physical activity, and behavioural changes to metabolic health and cancer progression
NASH
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
Selected publications
- Minciună I, Gallage S, Heikenwalder M, Zelber-Sagi S, Dufour JF. Intermittent fasting- the future treatment in nash patients? Hepatology. 2023.
- Gallage S#, Barragan-Avila JE, Ramadori P, Focaccia E, Rahbari M, Ali A, Malek N.P, Anstee Q, Heikenwalder M#. A researcher’s guide to preclinical mouse models. Nature Metabolism. 2022; 4, 1632-1649. #Co-correspondence.
- Gallage S*, Ali A*, Barragan-Avila JE, Herebian D, Karimi MM, Irvine EE, Schneider AT. Vucur M, Keitel V, Gil J, Withers DJ, Luedde T, Heikenwalder M. Spontaneous cholemia in C57BL/6 mice predisposes to liver cancer in NASH. CMGH. 2022; 13(3), 875-878.
- Revia S, Seretny A, Wendler L, Banito A, Eckert C, … Gallage S …… Tschaharganeh D. Histone H3K27 demethylase KDM6A is an epigenetic gatekeeper of mTORC1 signalling in cancer. Gut. 2022: 71:1613-1628.
- Gallage S*#, Garcia-Beccaria M*, Szydlowska M, Rahbari M, Mohr R, Tacke F, Heikenwalder, M#. The therapeutic landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma. Med. 2021; 2(5), 505-552. #Co-correspondence.
- Malehmir M*, Pfister D*, Gallage S*, Szydlowska M*, Inverso D* …… Heikenwalder M. Platelet GPIbα is a mediator and potential interventional target for NASH and subsequent liver cancer. Nature Medicine. 2019; 25, 641-655. *Co-First author.
- Baazim H, Schweiger M, Moschinger M, Xu Haifeng, Scherer T, Popa A, Gallage S …… Bergthaler A. CD8+ T cells induce cachexia during chronic viral infection. Nature Immunology. 2019; 20, 701-710.
- Guerrero A, Herranz N, Sun B, Wagner V, Gallage S …… Gil J. Cardiac glycosides are broad-spectrum senolytics. Nature Metabolism. 2019; 1, 1074-1088.
- Georgilis A, Klotz S, Hanley CJ, Herranz N, Weirich B, Morancho B, Leote AC, D’Artista L, Gallage S …… Gil J. PTBP1-Mediated Alternative Splicing Regulates the Inflammatory Secretome and the Pro-tumorigenic Effects of Senescent Cells. Cancer Cell. 2018;34(1):85-102.e9.
- Herranz N, Gallage S, Mellone M, Wuestefeld T, Klotz S, …… Gil J. mTOR regulates MAPKAPK2 translation to control the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Nature Cell Biology 2015;17(9):1205-1217.