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Torsten Pietsch
© Torsten Pietsch
Prof. Dr. Torsten Pietsch

Affiliations
  • Institut für Neuropathologie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn
Research topics
  • brain tumor classification
  • tumor genetics
  • developmental pathways in cancer
The long-standing scientific focus of Torsten Pietsch is in the neuropathology, genetics and biology of brain tumors and liver tumors of childhood. His group has identified the involvement of major pathogenetic pathways - often related to developmental control signaling - in the development of CNS and hepatic neoplasms, including pathological activation of SHH signaling in desmoplastic-type medulloblastoma, WNT in hepatoblastoma and medulloblastoma, AKT/mTOR in PPTR and NFkB in supratentorial ependymomas. Molecular, genetic and immunobiological translational research projects on the identification and validation of diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers were performed. TP is member of the WHO expert committee and author of the CNS tumor classifications 2000, 2007, 2016, 2021 and the cIMPACTnow consortium. Novel tumor entities were defined by his group, and guidelines for the neuropathological classification and tissue asservation published.
Selected publications


Jünger ST, Andreiuolo F, Mynarek M, Wohlers I, Rahmann S, Klein-Hitpass L, Dörner E, Zur Mühlen A, Velez-Char N, von Hoff K, Warmuth-Metz M, Kortmann RD,
Timmermann B, von Bueren A, Rutkowski S, Pietsch T (2020) CDKN2A deletion in supratentorial ependymoma with RELA alteration indicates a dismal prognosis: a
retrospective analysis of the HIT ependymoma trial cohort. Acta Neuropathol 140:405-407.

Zapka P, Dörner E, Dreschmann V, Sakamato N, Kristiansen G, Calaminus G, Vokuhl C, Leuschner I, Pietsch T (2018) Type, Frequency, and Spatial Distribution of
Immune Cell Infiltrates in CNS Germinomas: Evidence for Inflammatory and Immunosuppressive Mechanisms. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 77:119-127.

Pietsch T, Wohlers I, Goschzik T, Dreschmann V, Denkhaus D, Dörner E, Rahmann S, Klein-Hitpass L (2014) Supratentorial ependymomas of childhood carry C11orf95-RELA
fusions leading to pathological activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Acta Neuropathol 127:609-11.

Pietsch T, Waha A, Koch A, Kraus J, Albrecht S, Tonn J, Sörensen N, Berthold F, Henk B, Schmandt N, Wolf HK, von Deimling A, Wainwright B, Chenevix-Trench G, Wiestler OD, Wicking C (1997) Medulloblastomas of the desmoplastic variant carry mutations of the human homologue of Drosophila patched. Cancer Res 57:2085-8.

Torsten Pietsch
© Torsten Pietsch
Prof. Dr. Torsten Pietsch

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