Outstanding papillomavirus research

The Reinhold and Maria Teufel Foundation in Tuttlingen awards doctoral prizes to particularly talented and motivated young researchers every year. We are especially pleased that Dr. Tina Rehm has been honoured this year. Congratulations!

During her doctoral thesis in the working group of Prof. Dr. Frank Stubenrauch at the Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Virus Diseases Dr. Rehm analysed the replication cycle of human papillomaviruses (HPV). These viruses cause anogenital and oropharyngeal cancer in humans, with cervical carcinoma being predominant. Dr. Rehm concentrated mainly on viruses whose oncogenic properties are less well understood: the beta-papillomaviruses. It has been suggested, that beta-HPV infections are associated with the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas in patients with the rare genetic disease epidermodysplasia verruciformis and in immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients. It has been challenging to study beta-HPV in vitro due to lacking cell culture models. Thus, Dr. Rehm developed a new system, that allows the analysis of the virus life cycle and oncogenic properties of beta-papillomaviruses for the first time. 

Photo: (left to right) Prof Dr. Claudia Oecking (Chair), Michael Beck (Chair and Lord Mayor of Tuttlingen), Dr. Tina Rehm (Awardee)

Photo: (left to right) Michael Beck (Chair and Lord Mayor of Tuttlingen), Prof Dr. Claudia Oecking (Chair) and seven of nine award winners