Prof. Dr. med. David Capper

Scientific Scope

The research group "Molecular Neuropathology" works on the analysis of molecular changes in brain tumors and other tumor diseases. A special focus is on epigenetic alterations and the application of these changes for tumor classification.

Future Directions

The aims of this research group include: expanding the molecular characterization of brain tumors, the identification of oncogenic drivers in rare brain tumors, investigating the mechanisms underlying tumor development, developing machine learning based approaches for brain tumor classification and the translational application of new diagnostic tools.

Most important Awards, Grants or Scientific Achievements

• 2018 Curt Meyer Memorial award of the Berliner Krebsgesellschaft (10.000€)
• 2018 Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) Quest open data award (1.000€)
• 2018 Innovation prize of the Deutschen Hochschulmedizin e.V. (10.000€)
• cIMPACT: the consortium to inform molecular and practical approaches to CNS tumortaxonomy member.
• Member of the “Consensus and Editorial Meeting Working Group” for the Update of the 4th edition of the WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System.
• Member of the German Society for Neuropathology and Neuroanatomy (DGNN)
• Member of the Society for Neuro-Oncology

Selected References

• Schmid, S., Solomon, D.A., Perez, E., Thieme, A., Kleinschmidt-DeMasters, B.K., Giannini, C., Reinhardt, A., Asa, S.L., Mete, O., Stichel, D., Siewert, C., Dittmayer, C., Hasselblatt, M., Paulus, W., Nagel, C., Harter, P.N., Schittenhelm, J., Honegger, J., Rushing, E., Coras, R., Pfister, S.M., Buslei, R., Koch, A., Perry, A., Jones, D.T.W., von Deimling, A., Capper, D., Lopes, M.B.(2021) "Genetic and epigenetic characterization of posterior pituitary tumors."Acta Neuropathol. 2021 Dec;142(6):1025-1043.
• Wefers, A. K., Stichel, D., Schrimpf, D., Coras, R., Pages, M., Tauziède-Espariat, A., Varlet, P., Schwarz, D., Söylemezoglu, F., Pohl, U., Pimentel, J., Meyer, J., Hewer, E., Japp, A., Joshi, A., Reuss, D. E., Reinhardt, A., Sievers, P., Casalini, M. B., Ebrahimi, A., … Capper, D. (2020) " Isomorphic diffuse glioma is a morphologically and molecularly distinct tumour entity with recurrent gene fusions of MYBL1 or MYB and a benign disease course." Acta neuropathologica, 139(1), 193–209.
• Jurmeister, P., Bockmayr, M., Seegerer, P., Bockmayr, T., Treue, D., Montavon, G., Vollbrecht, C., Arnold, A., Teichmann, D., Bressem, K., Schüller, U., von Laffert, M., Müller, K. R., Capper, D., & Klauschen, F. (2019) "Machine learning analysis of DNA methylation profiles distinguishes primary lung squamous cell carcinomas from head and neck metastases." Science translational medicine, 11(509), eaaw8513.
• Reinhardt, A., Stichel, D., Schrimpf, D., Sahm, F., Korshunov, A., Reuss, D. E., Koelsche, C., Huang, K., Wefers, A. K., Hovestadt, V., Sill, M., Gramatzki, D., Felsberg, J., Reifenberger, G., Koch, A., Thomale, U. W., Becker, A., Hans, V. H., Prinz, M., Staszewski, O., … Capper, D. (2018) "Anaplastic astrocytoma with piloid features, a novel molecular class of IDH wildtype glioma with recurrent MAPK pathway, CDKN2A/B and ATRX alterations." Acta neuropathologica, 136(2), 273–291.
• Capper, D., Jones, D., Sill, M., Hovestadt, V., Schrimpf, D., Sturm, D., Koelsche, C., Sahm, F., Chavez, L., Reuss, D. E., Kratz, A., Wefers, A. K., Huang, K., Pajtler, K. W., Schweizer, L., Stichel, D., Olar, A., Engel, N. W., Lindenberg, K., Harter, P. N., … Pfister, S. M. (2018) "DNA methylation-based classification of central nervous system tumours." Nature, 555(7697), 469–474.