Jürg Nüesch

Dr. Jürg Nüesch leads the Parvovirus Host Cell Interactions research group at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany. His work focuses on harnessing protoparvoviruses, particularly H-1PV, as oncolytic agents for cancer therapy through molecular-level analysis of virus-host interactions to improve therapeutic safety and efficacy against untreatable cancers.

Research centers on four key initiatives: identifying neoplastic transformation markers via PDK1/PKB/PKC signaling pathway interference; elucidating viral egress mechanisms through exosome-like vesicles that expose viral antigens to stimulate anti-tumor immune responses; developing patient-tailored portfolios of self-propagating oncolytic parvoviruses with pre-treatment diagnostics; and designing parvovirus-derived oncotoxins to enhance bystander effects and immune activation in heterologous viral vectors. These efforts bridge virology, cancer biology, and immunology to advance virotherapeutic applications.

The group operates within DKFZ's Virus-associated Carcinogenesis division, contributing to fundamental research on virus-driven cancer mechanisms while translating findings into clinical oncolytic strategies. Current projects emphasize molecular characterization of parvovirus-induced oncolysis and immune stimulation to optimize therapeutic outcomes.