PATH - PAtients’ Tumor Bank of Hope, a non-profit foundation, is a patient-driven tumor biobank, the only one of its kind in the world.
We see ourselves as a joint venture of patients and scientists with the aim of promoting cancer research.
The purpose of the foundation is:
Having tumor pieces in the refrigerator means power. And this power is used.
Prof. Axel Ullrich, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried from 1988 to 2016
The impulse for the establishment of a patient-driven tumor bank was given by Prof. Axel Ullrich, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried until 2016. Ursula Goldmann-Posch, medical journalist, breast cancer patient and founder of “mamazone – Women and Research against Breast Cancer”, then put the idea into practice.
Axel Ullrich said in an interview with Ursula Goldmann-Posch: “Having tumor pieces in the refrigerator means power. And this power is used. If I need frozen tumor tissue for certain questions, it can happen that the pathologist is willing to do so, but the gynecologist keeps the associated medical file locked in his computer. For purely selfish reasons. Simply because he feels he is not informed enough. We would often achieve results much faster if we did not have to expend so much energy at the research level to establish a certain form of cooperation. Here in Germany, the individual generals fight more against each other than against the enemy.”
However, it is not enough to have good ideas and visions. It needs much more for the establishment, development and successful operation of a large, decentralized tumor bank. Based on an idea from the patient initiative “mamazone – Women and Research against Breast Cancer” and its founder Ursula Goldmann-Posch, the PATH Foundation – Patients’ Tumor Bank of Hope was founded in 2002.
The founders of PATH as an independent foundation were Elisabeth Glogger (†), Ursula Goldmann-Posch (†), Elisabeth Hantke, Dr. Margret Hoehe, Rita-Rosa Martin (†), Dr. Patrizia Mikulcik, Ulla Ohlms, Dr. Nadja Prang, Dr. Claudia Ulbrich and Carmen Waldner.
In the trend-setting early days, the founding board of PATH had to make fundamental decisions on the technology of biobanking, the legal formulation of the idea, the search for suitable clinics and the financing of the ambitious project. Numerous discussions were held with medical and scientific experts. The founding board also sought legal advice.
Thus, almost two years passed after the foundation until the first biobank freezer was set up at Kassel in 2004. Shortly thereafter, the sites in Marburg (2004), Bonn (2005) and Dortmund (2005) followed, as well as Offenbach (2006), Bochum (2006) and Regensburg (2007). Further details on the cooperating breast centers and pathologies of the clinics can be found on the page Locations.
This development, which is very fast for a volunteer project, would not have been possible without donors and sponsors who supported PATH in the initial purchase of the expensive storage containers and “ice-cold” freezers. We say thank you to all donors from the early days, but also to all long-standing supporters of our work.
The establishment, development and operation of a large decentralized tumor bank requires more than a visionary idea. My big thanks to everyone involved!
Ursula Goldmann-Posch († 2016), initiator and co-founder of the PATH Foundation
PATH is an initiative by patients for patients. Some board members know breast cancer from their own experience. The board works on a voluntary basis.
Ulla Ohlms | chairperson
The educational scientist and employee of the ministry for education fell ill with breast cancer in 2000. Since then, she has been working on a voluntary basis: first for “mamazone – Women and Research against Breast Cancer”. She has been a member of the board since 2007 and chairwoman and honorary managing director of the PATH Foundation since 2008.
In February 2024, she spoke at the opening event of the German Cancer Congress (DKK) as a representative of cancer patients.
Doris C. Schmitt
Through her own breast cancer and other cancers in the family, the qualified pedagogue became aware of the challenges patients and medical staff have to face in communication. That is why she has specialized in communication training for patients and for doctors in oncology. Since 2008, she has been part of the board of the PATH Foundation.
In the office of PATH in Munich all issues with the cooperating clinics and ongoing research projects are coordinated and the data on all tumor samples are recorded in the database.
The Munich office further answers questions of all kinds and coordinates the follow-up of the PATH women every two years. For this purpose, all women who have stored their tissue in PATH Biobank receive a letter with a questionnaire asking for their health status regarding breast cancer and whether there have been changes in therapy.
Dr. Franziska Sommermeyer
She holds a doctorate in molecular biology and coordinated clinical trials in immune-oncology. She has been working for PATH since 2020 and has been the scientific lead of PATH Biobank since 2022.
“One of my favorite parts of PATH is working with empathetic, smart, and authentic people who are committed to the same mission: advancing breast cancer research.”
Dr. Kathrin Lerchl
She holds a doctorate in nutritional sciences with a focus on basic medical research and has been working as scientific coordinator of PATH Biobank since 2022.
“I see the work at PATH as very meaningful, and I am proud to be able to support great breast cancer research.”
The Board of Trustees of the PATH Foundation consists of a maximum of nine people. Patient competence is represented by at least two cancer patients. The other members of the Board of Trustees come from academic and legal disciplines. It is the most important scientific advisory body for PATH Chairs.
In particular, the Board of Trustees has the following tasks:
The Board of Trustees usually meets once a year. The current members are:
Dr. rer. nat. Heinz Bodenmüller
Munich, Diploma in Biochemistry, Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Hiltrud Brauch
Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart
Eva Schumacher-Wulf
Kronberg, Journalist, Chief Editor, breast cancer magazine “MammaMia!”
Prof. Dr. iur. Norbert Zimmermann
Düsseldorf, Notary
Dr. Michael Mehlmann
München, MundiCare Life Science Strategies
Prof. Dr. med. Reinhard Büttner
Director, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Köln
Prof. Dr. med. Peter A. Fasching
Oberarzt der Frauenklinik, University Hospital Erlangen
Carmen Waldner
Mering, Software Engineer
Dr. rer. nat. Christian Matzenauer
Bammental, Diploma in Biology
If you are interested in participating to our foundation, please feel free to contact us.
Many donors support our work with one-time or regular donations. This year, a special thanks goes to Novartis, who made the relaunch of our website possible. The Novartis donation enables us to make our objectives and our work accessible to the public in a contemporary form. Thank you very much!
