We run a clinical study protocol on cervical cancers in collaboration with Dr. med. Gunnar B. Kristensen and the radiotherapy team at section of gynecologic oncology, Kvinneklinikken at our hospital.

The studies are based on tumor biopsies taken from patients before the start of treatment and during the fractionated radiotherapy. Microarray techniques and various protein assays are used for molecular profiling and MR spectroscopy and dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging provide information on tumor metabolism. The biological findings are analysed together with clinical data, such as metastatic status and treatment outcome, for discovery of candidate biomarkers.

We have close contact with project groups at the hospital that run similar radiation oncology protocols, aiming for transferring knowledge and methodological experience across the protocols.

 

 

We use human tumor cell lines in mechanistic studies, to further explore the potential of candidate biomarkers as molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. Flow cytometry, siRNA and confocal microscopy are important methods. So far, the work has been concentrated on the CKS2 protein, which is involved in cell cycle regulation and has been found to be upregulated in metastatic cervical cancers in our studies.

 

 

Analysis tools for microarray data are developed to enable a more thorough utilization of the results than possible with current methods. We have designed optimal protocols for microarray experiments and developed method that provide absolute transcript concentrations and gene copy numbers. The latter methods are useful for addressing gene dosage aspects and exploring gene regulation mechanisms. Ongoing projects include identification of trancription factor – target interactions of importance for patient survival and combining gene expressions and copy numbers for predictive purposes. Most projects are performed in collaboration with statisticians at Statistics for Innovation, headed by Arnoldo Frigessi.