Dr. Gregor Hutter

As a neurosurgeon-scientist, Dr. Hutter witnesses the devastation that malignant brain tumors cause patients and their families first hand. His journey in academic medicine started as a resident in neuropathology, where he had a first glimpse on the complexity of human brain tumors. Accompanying a friend from initial histopathological diagnosis to his neurological decline and death deeply influenced his career choice. Dr. Hutter says the desire to help these patients motivates him to conduct basic and translational research, with the ultimate goal of translating research findings into clinical application. Dr. Hutter established his research group in Basel, Switzerland in 2018  focusing on developing combinatorial therapeutic approaches that locally target microglia and the adaptive immune system, and directly interfere with the tumor cells.

Together, We Make Progress Possible

Thanks to the support of Cancer Research Switzerland and many other generous donors, we can explore new ideas and push science forward. Learn more about our research and its impact in the video below.

“I lead a research group in the field of malignant brain tumors — so-called glioblastomas.

These tumors can reprogram the surrounding cells in such a way that they promote tumor growth and help the cancer spread to other regions of the brain.

Microglial cells — immune cells of the brain — play a very important role in this process, because the tumor hijacks them for its own purposes.

The goal of our research project is to reprogram these microglial cells so that they attack the tumor instead of supporting it.

To do this, we use various methods and genetic techniques to activate or deactivate microglia, as well as medications that are applied directly into the tumor to reprogram them. Other medications that activate the body’s own immune system can only unfold their full effect once the microglia have been reprogrammed.

In my daily work as a neurosurgeon, I am often confronted with patients to whom I must deliver the diagnosis of a glioblastoma. Although I can surgically remove the main mass of the tumor, and radiation therapy or chemotherapy is then carried out, the tumor almost always returns.

That is why it is extremely important that we find better and more innovative approaches against this terrible disease.

At this point, I would particularly like to thank Cancer Research Switzerland — also on behalf of my entire team — and especially thank the donors.

Many, many thanks.”