Helicobacter pylori and Gastric Cancer

Steffen Backert is full Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Biology at the Friedrich Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. His group has been working in the field of Microbial Pathogenesis for over 25 years, investigating molecular signalling pathways during host-pathogen interactions in enteric and gastric infections such as that of Campylobacter jejuni and Helicobacter pylori. His research interests focus on the identification and characterization of new bacterial virulence factors (secreted or injected), which could represent potential novel targets for therapeutic intervention. He authored more than 220 peer-reviewed publications and edited eight scientific books. He is Associate Editor of various highly ranked research journals and has a strong and consistent record of gaining competitive research funding. Professor Backert is inventor on seven patents.

• Gastric stem cell biology and Helicobacter pylori infection.- Clinical pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of gastric cancerogenesis.- Helicobacter pylori metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction in gastric cancer development.- Immune biology and persistence of Helicobacter pylori in gastric diseases.- Pathogenomics of Helicobacter pylori infection.- Helicobacter pylori interactions with the microbiota and gastric cancer development.- Helicobacter pylori-induced host cell DNA damage and gastric carcinogenesis.- Gastric inflammation and oncogenic signal transduction networks by Helicobacter pylori.- Impact of Helicobacter pylori oncoprotein CagA and vacuolating cytotoxin VacA in gastric cancer.- Role of proteases in Helicobacter pylori infections and gastric diseases.- Clinical management of gastric cancer treatment regimes.