Translational Research Unit (TRU)
Expertise and services
The Translational Research Unit, known as TRU, is led by Dr. Else Marit Inderberg, PhD, and hosts two research groups.
Dr. Else Marit Inderberg has extensive expertise in cancer immunology and immunotherapy development. Her main research focus is on T-cell function and the development TCR- and CAR-based therapies, cancer vaccines, and the identification of predictive biomarkers of therapy response. She has broad oncology-related clinical trial experience.
Dr. Sébastien Wälchli has been trained in biotechnology and molecular biology, but for 20 years he moved to immunotherapy. He works on CAR/TCR molecules discovery and development. Together with EMI, they have identified around 20 TCR constructs from patients (Radium-series), the same number of CAR from the hospital collection of hybridoma and designed the NK-TCR system (WO2016116601).
The unit has the capacity to undertake complete pre-clinical studies for immunotherapeutic molecules such as vaccines and adoptive T cell transfer (TCR, CAR). It possesses the competence to deliver molecular biology products isolated from patient material (TCR), to perform cellular assays and in vivo studies. Finally, innovative tools are also developed in collaboration with academy and private companies. TRU has contributed to the development of four products that have reached clinical testing.
Services include:
- Immunomonitoring in clinical trials (biobanking, cytokine measurements, immune cell phenotyping, cytotoxicity, spatial proteomics, biomarker studies).
- Preclinical commisioned research
Location and capacity
The Translational Research Unit is based in the Oslo Cancer Cluster building at the Radiumhospitalet campus. TRU counts a staff of around 20 researchers, PhD students, Master students and special engineers.
The available infrastructure includes:
Main equipment and platforms
Equipment available through TRU includes:
- Flow cytometry (FACSLyric)
- Incucyte live-cell imaging
- ELISPOT analyser (Immunospot S6 Ultimate)
- Bio-Plex 200 instrument
- Z-Movi
- Sehorse XFe96
- Retroviral transduction facilities
- Zeiss Axiovert A1 microcope
- Scintillation counter
We are grateful to Radiumhospitalets Legater, Brambanis Legat and Radforsk for their funding for equipment.