The research focus of the Tumor Biology Research Group (TBRG) is on the tumor microenvironment, including tumor immunology, and how this regulates the progression of cancer.
We focus our studies on different types of cancers, including oral cancer, breast cancer and brain cancer.
The research group is highly cross-disciplinary and consists of dentists, head-and-neck surgeons, medical doctors, pathologists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians and biochemists.
Foto: Oddleif Larsen/UiT
See list of publications on the Cristin website.
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Knutsen, E., Harris, A.L. & Perander, M. (2022) Expression and functions of long non-coding RNA NEAT1 and isoforms in breast cancer. Br J Cancer 126, 551–561. |
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Winkler, J., Liu, P., Phong, K., Hinrichs, J.H., Ataii, N., Williams, K., Hadler-Olsen, E., Samson, S., Gartner, Z.J., Fisher, S., & Werb Z. (2022) Bisphenol A replacement chemicals, BPF and BPS, induce protumorigenic changes in human mammary gland organoid morphology and proteome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 119(11), e2115308119 |
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von Hofsten, S., Paulsen, M.H., Magnussen, S.N., Ausbacher, D., Kranz, M., Bayer, A., Strom, M.B. & Berge, G. (2022) The marine natural product mimic MPM-1 is cytolytic and induces DAMP release from human cancer cell lines. Scientific reports, 12(1), 15586-15586 |
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Tellez-Gabriel, M., Tekpli, X., Reine, T. M., Hegge, B., Nielsen, S. R., Chen, M., Moi, L., Normann, L. S., Busund, L.-T. R., Calin, G. A., Mælandsmo, G. M., Perander, M., Theocharis, A. D., Kolset, S. O. & Knutsen, E. (2022) Serglycin Is Involved in TGF-β Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Is Highly Expressed by Immune Cells in Breast Cancer Tissue. Cancer Tissue. Front. Oncol, 12, 868868-868868. |
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Andreassen R & Hadler-Olsen E. (2022) Eating and speech problems in oral and pharyngeal cancer survivors – Associations with treatment-related side-effects and time since diagnosis. Special Care in Dentistry. |
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Norvoll Magnussen, S., Toraskar, J. P., Hadler-Olsen, E. S., Steigedal, T. S. & Svineng, G. (2021) Nephronectin as a Matrix Effector in Cancer. Cancers (Basel), 13(5), 959. |
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Dragomir, M. P., Knutsen, E. & Calin, G. A. (2021) Classical and noncanonical functions of miRNAs in cancers. Trends in Genetics., 38(4), 379-394 |
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Wirsing, A. M., Bjerkli, I.-H., Steigen, S. E., Rikardsen, O., Magnussen, S. N., Hegge, B., Seppola, M., Uhlin-Hansen, L. & Hadler-Olsen, E. (2021) Validation of Selected Head and Neck Cancer Prognostic Markers from the Pathology Atlas in an Oral Tongue Cancer Cohort. Cancers. 13(10), 2387. |
Coop Nord arrangerte Rosa sløyfe-løp til inntekt for brystkreftforskning. Sammen med over 500 påmeldte løp/gikk vi enten 3 eller 6 km i lysløypa.
03.10.23
Flere medlemmer fra Tumorbiologisk forskninsgruppe bidro til årets Forskningsdagene 2023.
24.09.23
Bak alle potensielle behandlinger mot kreft, ligger uendelig mye forskning. Overingeniør May-Britt Five forsker på en alvorlig kreftform på lab'en. Hvordan foregår forskerlivet på et laboratorium? Hva gjør jobben til May-Britt meningsfull? Bli med på lab'en! Sjekk ut video på Facebook!
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT
26.04.23
Tumorbiologisk forskningsgruppe bidro til å planlegge og gjennomføre forskningsdag for 1.-7. klasse på Hansnes barne-og ungdomsskole. Temaet for dagen var «Medisiner fra Havet». Takk til Autofagiforskninsgruppa, Marbio, Kreftforeningen, FOSS og Seksjon for forskning, utdanning og formidling Helsefak for hjelp til gjennomføring.
Sjekk ut video på Facebook og Norge Rundt!
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT
30.01.23
Når renovasjonen i en by svikter, kan hele nabolag bli ubeboelig. Sånn er det i kroppen vår også [...].
Foto: Anne Kristin McLaren Berge/UiT
04.12.22
Forskere mister jobben, og forskningsmiljøer forvitrer. Vi har snart ikke råd til å finne ut hvorfor brystkreftceller sprer seg og tar liv [...].
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT
20.10.22
Rosa sløyfe-løpet ønsker å skape økt oppmerksomhet rundt brystkreftsaken, og inntektene går til Rosa sløyfe-aksjonen og deres forskning på brystkreft. Denne gjengen fra tumorbiologisk forskninsgruppe har meldt seg på årets virutelle løp.
11.10.22
Susannah von Hofsten presenterte deler av sitt doktorgradsprosjekt under Forskningsdagene 2022
Foto: Andrea Jennerwein/UiT
30.09.22
Kjersti Sellæg, Susannah von Hofsten og May-Britt Five deltok på Forskningsdagene på Vitensenteret.
25.09.22
Elin Hadler-Olsen og Kjersti Sellæg bidro som foredragsholdere på munn- og halskreftdagen 2022
19.09.22
May-Britt Five bidro som innholdsprodusent til Riktig, en digital læringsressurs til det grunnlegende faget "Anatomi, fysiologi og biokjemi" for sykepleierutdanningen.
19.09.22
Antall tenner som trenger behandling går ikke nødvendigvis ned når tannhelsen blir bedre [...].
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT
11.03.22
Hun havnet i Tromsø på grunn av et forskningsprosjekt om munnhulekreft. Ikke fordi hun absolutt ville dit – og heller ikke fordi hun var spesielt opptatt av munnhulekreft. Hun ville bare forske.
29.09.21
Cellene i kroppen er samspilte og proffe, litt som et topplag i fotball. Men hva skjer hvis en kreftcelle prøver å komme seg inn på laget? Kreftforsker ved UiT, Gerd Berge forklarer, sammen med Tromsø IL.
Det er på høy tid at søkelyset nå rettes mot munnhulekreft og de særlige utfordringene denne pasientgruppen møter [...].
Illustrasjon: Stine Kaasa/Morgenbladet
17.09.18
2019 - 2024
Main supervisor: Synnøve Magnussen (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisors: Gerd Berge (IMB, UiT) og Anna Maria Wirsing (IMB, UiT)
The main objective for the PhD project is to study the tumor microenvironment in oral cancer. The research focus is on the regulation of cancer-associated vasculature during oral cancer progression and tumor immunity, as well as tumor biomarkers.
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT
2017 - 2026
Main supervisor: Elin Hadler-Olsen (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisors: Synnøve Magnussen (IMB, UiT) and Anna Maria Wirsing (IMB, UiT)
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an aggressive, and invasive solid malignancy of epithelial origin. It affects different subsites in the oral cavity and is characterized by poor prognosis, high incidence, and mortality rate. The 5yrs-survival for OSCC stagnates at around 50% due to inadequate effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Currently, the TNM-classification is mainly used in stratifying patients for treatment but does not sufficiently reflect the biological diversity among OSCCs of the same TNM-stage. Thus, we aim at establishing potent prognosticators (HEVs, FOXP3+-Tregs, M2-TAMs) that modulate anti-tumour immunity and patients’ outcome, to reinforce the TNM-stage in administering improved individual diagnosis and therapies
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT
2021 -2025
Main supervisor: Erik Knutsen (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisors: Bård O. Karlsen (Nordlandssykehuset HF) and Marieke Kuijjer (NCMM, UiO)
Lymph nodes have been identified as the primary route of metastasis for breast cancer cells in most cases. My PhD project therefore focuses on generating more basal knowledge about the cancer cells in the lymph node, their interaction with lymphocytes, and their individual (subclass) association toward prognostic parameters. By using single cell RNA sequencing and several molecular methods, we are aiming to establish a transcriptome signature that will ultimately help in development of a more sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for risk assessment of cancer cells in lymph nodes.
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT
2021 - 2025
Main supervisor: Erik Knutsen (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisors: Eva Sjøttem (IMB, UiT), Hallvard Lauritz Olsvik (IMB, UiT) and Maria Perander (IMB, UiT)
Our project is focused on TRIM proteins in relation to autophagy and cancer. Autophagy is the renovation system of the cell and is essential for keeping our cells healthy. In cancer, autophagy is a double-edged sword as it can either prevent or promote the disease. Several TRIM proteins are already known to be involved in autophagy, but it remains to fully understand the participation of these proteins in the cells renovation system. Through bioinformatical methods in combination with wet-lab experiments, our goal is to know more about how TRIM proteins might be involved in cancer, either through autophagy or through a non-autophagic pathway.
Foto: Oddleif Larsen/UiT
2020 - 2026
Main supervisor: Anna Maria Wirsing (IMB, UiT) and Sonja Steigen (UNN)
Co-supervisors: Synnøve Magnussen (IMB, UiT) and Gerd Berge (IMB, UiT)
The overall aim of the PhD project is to explore the cellular composition and organization of the immune infiltrate in relation to human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression. The study is part of the nationwide NORwegian Oral Cancer (NOROC) study and is based on immunohistochemical and molecular analysis.
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT (left) and Kjersti Sellæg (right)
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Anticancer activity of amphipathic barbiturates March 2023 Main supervisor: Gerd Berge (IMB, UiT) Co-supervisors: Synnøve Magnussen (IMB, UiT), Morten Bøhmer Strøm (IFA, UiT) and Dominik Ausbacher (IFA, UiT) Link to doctoral thesis: https://munin.uit.no/handle/10037/29295 |
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Challenges related to drug resistance, side effects, and poor response rates makes cancer treatment complicated. However, different forms of immunotherapy have been effective for some cancer patients. Oncolytic therapies which can be administered directly intratumorally represent a promising form of immunotherapy. The aim of oncolytic therapies is to kill cancer cells by inducing immunogenic cell death, which can activate a natural anti-tumor immune response. The current project focused on exploring the potential of amphipathic barbiturates, herein referred to as marine product mimics (MPMs), as novel oncolytic compounds for cancer treatment. The MPMs were developed with inspiration from antimicrobial peptides and the eusynstyelamides, which are a group of natural compounds that have previously been isolated from marine animals. It was demonstrated that the compound MPM-1 could kill a range of different cell types and induced a necrosis like death in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line HSC-3. Nine additional MPMs were synthesized and included in further studies. In vitro experimentation indicated that the MPMs have an intracellular target and that they accumulate in lysosomes, which could be part of their mechanism of inducing cell death. It was demonstrated that the MPMs could cause the release and exposure of damage-associated molecular patterns which are associated with immunogenic cell death, indicating that they could have the potential to be used in oncolytic cancer therapy. An in vivo study was performed where intratumoral injections of MPM-1 were administered to mice bearing B16F1 melanoma tumors. Complete tumor remission was achieved. However, significant protective effects against a rechallenge with the same cancer cells was not observed. In summary, the MPMs demonstrate potent anticancer activity but whether they have the potential to be used in treatment of human cancer remains to be seen.
Foto: Jørn Berger-Nyvoll/UiT
Erasmus+ 2023
Development of new therapeutic approaches against glioblastomas. Conditioning of oncogenic cells to treatment through the modification of nutrient availability.
Supervisor: Oscar Rafael Estupinan Sanchez (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisor: Gerd Berge (IMB, UiT)
Master's degree in biomedicine, 2024
The master project takes part in an ongoing study on the effects of intratumoral injections of MPM-1 in remission of B16F1 melanoma. The aim of the project is to characterize the molecular mechanisms of MPM-1 in B16F1 melanoma cells and investigate the ability of MPM-1 to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) and long-term immunogenic memory.
Supervisor: Gerd Berge (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisor: May-Britt Five (IMB, UiT) and Susannah von Hofsten (IMB, UiT)
Master's degree in biomedicine, 2024
This project aims to investigate the role of RP5-1198O20.4 lncRNA in breast cancer and EMT. We hypothesize that RP5-1198O20.4 has a direct regulatory effect on EMT, and that this mechanism can be induced by overexpression of RP5-1198O20.4
Supervisor: Saikat Das Sajib (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisor: Erik Knutsen (IMB, UiT)
Bachelor's degree in biomedicine, completed June 2023
The aim of my Bachelor thesis is to investigate which solvent: Saline, PBS, RPMI or Tris-HCl, is best suited for intratumoral treatment with the novel compound MPM-1, in C57-Black mice inoculated with tumor cells. This is crucial before proceeding with animal studies because we want the optimal cytolytic effect of MPM-1.
Supervisor: Gerd Berge (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisor: Beate Hegge (IMB, UiT)
Bachelor's degree in biomedicine, completed June 2023
The aim of the study was to assess antigen uptake and distribution from the oral cavity, and more specifically involvement of the tongue mucous glands.
Supervisor: Synnøve Magnussen (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisor: May-Britt Five (IMB, UiT)
Erasmus+ 2022
The main objective for the project is to study the role of Serglycin on TGFb-induced EMT in normal breast epithelial and breast cancer cell lines, and to investigate the involvement of serglycin on TGFb-induced EMT signaling pathway and serglycin's potential regulation by the EMT transcription factor ZEB1.
Supervisor: Erik Knutsen (IMB, UiT)
Bachelor's degree in biomedicine, completed June 2022
The aim of the Bachelor’s thesis was to investigate different aspects of the tumor immune microenvironment in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Anna worked a six-week project in the group over the summer funded by the Faculty of Health Sciences summer grant for students.
Supervisor: Kjersti Sellæg (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisor: Synnøve Magnussen (IMB, UiT)
Master's degree in clinical nutrition, completed June 2021
The primary brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the deadliest types of human cancer. The focus of this project was to investigate if the ketone body ß-hydroxybutyrate and/or a glucose deprivation have an adjuvant effect to MPM-1 on GBM cells.
Supervisor: Gerd Berge (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisor: May-Britt Five (IMB, UiT)
Bachelor's degree in biomedicine, completed June 2020
Malin studied the compound MPM-1 (previously referred to as MHP88) and its cytotoxic effect on cancerous and non-cancerous cells. By the use of MTS viability assays and microscopy she looked at how cell size and seeding density affected the potency of MPM-1.
Supervisor: Gerd Berge (IMB, UiT)
Co-supervisor: Susannah von Hofsten (IMB, UiT)
