Cand. med. Erna Elise Paulsen disputerer for ph.d.-graden i helsevitenskap og vil offentlig forsvare avhandlingen:
“Immunological markers in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)”
Kort sammendrag av avhandlingen:
The immune system plays an important role in cancer, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells can either inhibit or promote tumor progression. To improve cancer patient survival, we need to increase knowledge of the immune response in cancer. Our group collected tissue from 536 patients surgically treated for non-small cell lung cancer and detected immune molecules by immunohistochemistry. We found that patients with high levels of cytotoxic (killer) and memory T-cells in tumors had a lowered risk of recurrence and death from lung cancer. Checkpoint molecules are “brakes” which turn off T-cells as part of the normal regulation of immune responses. This can be exploited by cancer cells, and drugs blocking this mechanism show great promise. Interestingly, we found that patients with high levels of checkpoints had improved survival, probably because an active immune response is necessary to fight tumors. Our results may be used to improve treatment decision-making for lung cancer patients.
(Avhandlingen er tilgjengelig for utlån hos Seksjon for forskningstjenester frem til disputasdato)
Veiledere
Hovedveileder professor Tom Dønnem, Institutt for klinisk medisin, UiT
Biveileder professor Roy M. Bremnes, Institutt for klinisk medisin, UiT
Biveileder professor Lill-Tove Busund, Institutt for medisinsk biologi, UiT
Bedømmelseskomiteen
Dosent/overlege Simon Ekman, Institutionen för Onkologi-Patologi, Karolinska Institutet/Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Stockholm, Sverige, 1. opponent
Postdoktor/overlege Vilde Drageset Haakensen, Avdeling for kreftbehandling/Institutt for Kreftforskning, Oslo Universitetssykehus, 2. opponent
Professor/overlege Terje Risberg, Institutt for klinisk medisin, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT – Norges arktiske universitet, leder av komite
Disputasleder
Professor Eyvind Paulssen, Institutt for klinisk medisin, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet
Prøveforelesning over oppgitt emne holdes kl. 10.15, samme sted: “Kreften mennesket og immun apparatet. Hvordan kan immunforsvaret utnyttes i kampen mot lungekreft”