Frank Essmann, born in 1971, studied chemistry at the University of Dortmund and prepared his diploma thesis at the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Physiology. He moved to Berlin to prepare his PhD thesis jointly at the Charité and the Max Delbrück Centrum investigating mechanisms of apoptosis. In 2002 Frank became a junior group leader at the Institute for Molecular Medicine, HHU Düsseldorf, focusing on apoptosis regulation by BCL-2 proteins. In 2008 Frank habilitated in Molecular Medicine and became group leader at the Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry of the University of Tübingen. In 2018 Frank moved to the Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology (IKP) and since 2021 he establishes his research group “Apoptosis Regulation and Targeted Therapy” at Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases. The group investigates cell death and resistance mechanisms in the context of (targeted) anti-cancer drugs. At the Bosch Health Campus Frank serves as an expert in molecular biology, advanced fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Frank´s publications significantly contributed to the understanding of apoptosis regulation especially by BCL-2 family proteins.
Relevant Own Publications
Weller S, Toennießen A, Schaefer B, Beigl T, Muenchow A, Böpple K, Hofmann U, Gillissen BF, Aulitzky WE, Kopp H-G, Essmann F. The BCL-2 inhibitor ABT-199/venetoclax synergizes with proteasome inhibition via transactivation of the MCL-1 antagonist NOXA. Cell Death Discov 2022, 8(1):215. doi: 10.1038/s41420-022-01009-1. PMID: 32839432.
Muenchow A, Weller S, Hinterleitner C, Malenke E, Bugl S, Wirths S, Müller MR, Schulze-Osthoff K, Aulitzky WE, Kopp H- G, Essmann F. The BCL-2 selective inhibitor ABT-199 sensitizes soft tissue sarcomas to proteasome inhibition by a concerted mechanism requiring BAX and NOXA. Cell Death Dis 2020, 11(8):701. doi: 10.1038/s41419-020-02910-2. PMID: 32839432.
Kleih M, Böpple K, Dong M, Gaißler A, Heine S, Olayioye MA, Aulitzky WE, Essmann F. Direct impact of cisplatin on mitochondria induces ROS production that dictates cell fate of ovarian cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2019, 10(11):851. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-2081-4. PMID: 31699970.
Stehle D, Grimm M, Einsele-Scholz S, Ladwig F, Johänning J, Fischer G, Gillissen B, Schulze-Osthoff K, Essmann, F. Contribution of BH3-domain and Transmembrane-domain to the Activity and Interaction of the Pore-forming Bcl-2 Proteins Bok, Bak, and Bax. Sci Rep 2018, (8):12434. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30603-6. PMID: 30127460.
Einsele-Scholz S, Malmsheimer S, Bertram K, Stehle D,Johänning J, Manz M, Daniel PT, Gillissen BF, Schulze-Osthoff K, Essmann F. Bok is a genuine multi-BH-domain protein that triggers apoptosis in the absence of Bax and Bak. J Cell Sci 2016: 129(11): 2213. doi: 10.1242/jcs.193946. PMID: 27505430.
Hörber S, Hildebrand DG, Lieb WS, Lorscheid S, Hailfinger S, Schulze-Osthoff K, Essmann F. The Atypical Inhibitor of NF-κB, IκBζ, Controls Macrophage Interleukin-10 Expression. J Biol Chem. 2016 Jun 10;291(24):12851-12861. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.718825. Epub 2016 Apr 18. PMID: 27129283.
Alexander E, Hildebrand DG, Kriebs A, Obermayer K, Manz M, Rothfuss O, Schulze-Osthoff K, Essmann F. IκBζ is a regulator of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype in DNA damage- and oncogene-induced senescence. J Cell Sci. 2013 Aug 15;126(Pt 16):3738-45. doi: 10.1242/jcs.128835. Epub 2013 Jun 18. PMID: 23781024.
Braumüller H, Wieder T, Brenner E, Aßmann S, Hahn M, Alkhaled M, Schilbach K, Essmann F, Kneilling M, Griessinger C, Ranta F, Ullrich S, Mocikat R, Braungart K, Mehra T, Fehrenbacher B, Berdel J, Niessner H, Meier F, van den Broek M, Häring HU, Handgretinger R, Quintanilla-Martinez L, Fend F, Pesic M, Bauer J, Zender L, Schaller M, Schulze-Osthoff K, Röcken M. T-helper-1-cell cytokines drive cancer into senescence. Nature. 2013 Feb 21;494(7437):361-5. doi: 10.1038/nature11824. Epub 2013 Feb 3. PMID: 23376950.
Graupner V, Alexander E, Overkamp T, Rothfuss O, De Laurenzi V, Gillissen BF, Daniel PT, Schulze-Osthoff K, Essmann F. Differential regulation of the proapoptotic multidomain protein Bak by p53 and p73 at the promoter level. Cell Death Differ. 2011 Jul;18(7):1130-9. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2010.179. Epub 2011 Jan 14. PMID: 21233848.
Neise D, Graupner V, Gillissen BF, Daniel PT, Schulze-Osthoff K, Jänicke RU, Essmann F.Activation of the mitochondrial death pathway is commonly mediated by a preferential engagement of Bak. Oncogene. 2008 Feb 28;27(10):1387-96. doi: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210773. Epub 2007 Sep 3. PMID: 17724463.
more ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4369-8456