CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium
The CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium represents an integrated part of the CCBIO Research School for Cancer 大象传媒. This is a seminar series that aims to improve scientific interaction and networking among junior researchers.

Main content
The participants are very satisfied with these seminars. We receive comments on the high level of the research and presentations, as well as the positive side of getting to know colleagues in other CCBIO research groups. The small-talk goes lively in the breaks, suggesting that new and fruitful research collaborations might get started here.
Vladan Milosevic and Mari K. Halle are the current academic responsible for CCBIO901.
Read the Course description for CCBIO901.听听
Next date is February 27, 2025.
Below you can find the programs of current and earlier symposia.
February 2025
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: February 27, 2025, 09:00-13:00
Where:听 Meeting room, HBE, Glasblokkene, Blokk 8, U1etg, U364, Auditorium
Program:
09.00-09.15: Introduction
09.15-10.00: 鈥淎ncient Wisdom Meets Modern Oncology: The Indian traditional medicine Ayurveda in Cancer Prevention and Therapy鈥 Keynote lecture by听Vandana Ardawatia
10.00-10.20: Coffee break听
10.20-10.45: 鈥淓stablishing patient-derived organoid models for studying high-risk cervical cancer鈥 by听Oda Fl酶tre
10.45-11.10: 鈥渃tDNA-based Liquid Biopsy for Monitoring Pediatric Cancer Progression鈥 by听Reidun 脝s酶y
11.10-12:00 Lunch (free of charge, register within February 24th at 11.00)听
12:00-12:25: 鈥淐osts of Care for Children with Severe anaemia in Malawi, Kenya and Uganda鈥 by听Grace Wezi Mzumara
12:25-12:50: 鈥淭ooth Root Resorption 鈥 Prevalence, Treatment Outcome, Diagnostic challenges by Clinicians and Role of Artificial Intelligence鈥 by听Nivedita Sinha
12:50-13:00: Concluding remarks听
听
December 2024
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: December 5, 2024, 09:00-13:00
Where:听 Meeting room, HBE, Glasblokkene, Blokk 8, U1etg, U364, Auditorium
Program:
09.00-09.15 Introduction听
09.15-10.00 鈥淔rom the Keys to the Notes: Music and Science in Harmony鈥 Keynote lecture by听Manuel Carrasco Fernandez
10.00-10.20 Coffee break
10.20-10.45 鈥淒evelopment of osteogenic and angiogenic bioinks for the 3D bioprinting of a co-culture design鈥 by听脜shild Johansen
10.45-11.10 鈥淏lood-brain barrier in Alzheimer's disease - applying imaging mass cytometry to spatially profile brain tissue鈥 by听Marta Kaminska
11.10-12.00 Lunch (free of charge, register within December 2nd听听at 11.00)听
12.00-12.25 鈥淧reclinical development of novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting mutated FLT3 in acute myeloid leukemia鈥 by Inga听Kirstine Flaaten Motzfeldt
12.25-12.50 鈥淭argeting WRN helicase in MMR-deficient endometrial cancer 鈥 by听Otilie Klokk
12.50-13.00 Concluding remarks听
听
June 2024
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: June 6, 2024, 09:00-13:00
Where:听 Meeting room, HBE, Glasblokkene, Blokk 8, U1etg, U364, Auditorium
Program:
09.00-09.15: Introduction听听
09.15-10.00: 鈥淣avigating the system鈥 Keynote lecture by听Geir Olav L酶ken听10.00-10.20: Coffee break听
10.20-10.45: 鈥淧rognostic signature based on mitochondria quality control proteins for the prediction of lung adenocarcinoma patients survival鈥 by听Anna Gorbunova
10.45-11.10: 鈥淭argeting Homology Repair Deficiency in Breast Cancer鈥 by听Synn酶ve Yndestad
11.10-12:00 Lunch (free of charge, register within June 3rd at 11.00)听听听
12:00-12:25: 鈥淐asting vs 3D-Bioprinting of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications鈥 by听Masoumeh Jahani Kadousaraei听
12:25-12:50: 鈥淧recision medicine in children's cancers鈥 by听Constance de Montlaur
12:50-13:00: Concluding remarks听
February 2024
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: February 1, 2024, 09:00-13:00
Where:听 the conference room, BB-building听
Program:
09:00-09:15听 听Introduction
09:15-10:00听 听Hege Berg, keynote lecture: 鈥淐linical implementation of multi-omics methodology in cancer diagnostics鈥
10:00-10:20听 听COFFEE BREAK
10:20-10:45听 听Oleksii Nikolaienko: 鈥淭he role and inheritance of BRCA1 epimutations鈥
10:45-11:10听 听Ryan Dunkel: 鈥淧re-Clinical and Phenotypic Characterization of a Novel CAR T Therapy for B-cell Lymphoma Malignancies鈥
11:10-12:00听 听LUNCH BREAK (Lunch is free of charge)
12:00-12:25听 听Katrin Kleinmanns: 鈥淎dvanced Preclinical Models to Investigate Promising Drugs targeting Resistant Subpopulations in Ovarian Cancer鈥
12:25-12:50听 听Sturla Magnus Gr酶ndal: 鈥淢apping Disease Landscapes: CyTOF Applications in Oncology and Fibrosis鈥澨
12:50-13:00听 听Concluding remarks
December 2023
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: December 6, 2023, 09:00-13:00
Where:听听B302, Sentralblokka, Haukeland University Hospital.听
Program:
09.00-09.15: Introduction听
听
09.15-10.00: 鈥淢y Path in the World of Cancer Research鈥 Keynote lecture by Professor Daniela Costea
听
10.00-10.20: Coffee break听
10.20-10.45: 鈥淧reclinical development of novel therapeutics in Mantle Cell Lymphoma鈥 by May Eriksen Gjerstad
10.45-11.10: 鈥淪j枚gren's syndrome- Assessment of salivary gland manifestations and their association with renal disease鈥 by Hanne Borge
11.10-12:00 Lunch (free of charge)听
听听
12:00-12:25: 鈥淏rain-derived blood exosomes - a potential for new biomarkers in multiple sclerosis: Pilot study results from relapsing MS patients under anti-CD20 therapy鈥 by Shamundeeswari Anandan
12:25-12:50: 鈥淪patial analysis of the cancer tissue microenvironment using mass cytometry imaging technologies鈥 by听Rezvan Ehsani
12:50-13:00: Concluding remarks听
June 2023
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: June 8, 2023, 09:00-13:00
Where:听听B302, Sentralblokka, Haukeland University Hospital.听
Program:
09.00-09.15: Introduction听听
09.15-10.00: 鈥淟et鈥檚 talk about bioinformatics鈥.鈥 Keynote lecture by听Dimitrios听Kleftogiannis听
10.00-10.20: Coffee break听
10.20-10.45: 鈥淐orneal vascularization associated with a novel PDGFRB gene variant鈥 by听Titas Gladkauskas
10.45-11.10: 鈥淰isualization and establishment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patient-derived xenografts (PDX)鈥 by听Mireia Mayoral Safont听
11.10-12:00 Lunch听
12:00-12:25: 鈥淒etecting Imperfect Homology at Structural Variant Breakpoints in Cancer鈥 by听Rose Meng Gold
12:25-12:30: Concluding remarks听
February 2023
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: February 2, 2023, 09:00-13:00
Where:听听B301, Sentralblokka, Haukeland University Hospital.听
Program:
09.00-09.15: Introduction鈥
09.15-10.00: 鈥淢y insights on making the jump: transitioning to academic independence?鈥 Keynote lecture by听Harsh Dongre听鈥听
10.00-10.20: Coffee break鈥
10.20-10.45: 鈥淒rug discovery of small molecules against prostate cancer鈥 by听Yaping Hua听听
10.45-11.10: 鈥淧atient-derived xenograft (PDX) models as preclinical tool for investigation of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)鈥 by听Angela Sofia Geros Mesquita听鈥听
11.10-12:00: Lunch听听
12:00-12:25: 鈥淢itochondria transfer from the microenvironment promotes oxidative metabolism and invasion of glioblastoma鈥 by听Shannon Moreino听听
12.25-12:50: 鈥淭he role of CEL in pancreatic disease鈥 by听Ranveig Seim Brekke听听
12:50-13:00: Concluding remarks鈥
December 2022
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: December 8, 2022, 09:00-13:00
Where:听听B302, Sentralblokka, Haukeland University Hospital.听
Program:
09.00-09.15: Introduction鈥
09.15-10.00: 鈥淎dded value of international mobility?鈥 Keynote lecture by听Camilla Krakstad鈥听
10.00-10.20: Coffee break鈥
10.20-10.45: 鈥淎ctinomycin D treatment in patients with NPM1- mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other myeloid malignancies in Impress Norway鈥 by听Irini Ktoridou-Valen听
10.45-11.10: 鈥淏reast cancer of the young points to age-related phenotypes鈥 by听Rasmus Humlevik听
11.10-12:00 Lunch (free of charge)鈥
12:00-12:25: 鈥淚mpact of cell death on glioblastoma, its tumor microenvironment and immune response鈥 by听Ege Solel听听
12.25-12:50: 鈥淓motional eating and changes in dietary patterns linked to psychological distress and worries鈥 by听听Elaheh Javadi Arjmand听
12:50-13:00: Concluding remarks鈥
October 2022
颁丑补颈谤蝉:听Mari Kylles酶 Halle,听Cornelia Schuster听补苍诲听Vladan Milosevic
When: October 6, 2022, 09:00-13:00
Where:听听B301, Sentralblokka, Haukeland University Hospital.听
Program:
09:00-09:15 听 Introduction
09:15-10:00 听鈥淢ultiplex profiling of the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer 鈥 Unlocking the power of mass cytometry鈥 Keynote lecture by Vladan Milosevic
10:00-10:20 听 Coffee break
10:20-10:45 听鈥淭umour-fibroblast interactions in squamous cell carcinomas鈥 by听Harsh Dongre
10:45-11:10 听鈥淢imicking clonal architecture in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)鈥 by听Tara Dowling
11:10-12:00 听 Lunch
12:00-12:25 听鈥淕raviclot; Changes in coagulation activation in pregnancy and the puerperium in women with mild risk factors for venous thromboembolism鈥 by听Margunn Bye T酶sdal
12:25-12:50 听鈥淓stablishment of peritoneal dECM scaffolds for culture of ovarian cancer organoids鈥 by听Christiane Helgestad Gjerde
12:50-13:00 听 Concluding remarks
May 2022
Chairs: Maria Lie Lotsberg听and Hanna Dillek氓s.听
When:听May 12, 2022, 09:00-12:45
Where:听A hybrid solution with onsite participation in Auditorium Glasblokkene (Haukelandsbakken 15), or in Zoom.听
Program:
09.00-09.15: Introduction
09.15-10.00: Keynote lecture by Henriette Christie Erts氓s: 鈥淥f course, you would never publish in a predatory journal... or would you?鈥
10.00-10.35: Coffee break
10.35-11.00:听Amalie Fagerli Tegnander: 鈥淟ow Anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) relates to aggressive tumor features in breast cancer鈥
11.00-11.45: Lunch (free of charge, register within May 9th at 11.00)
11.45-12.10: Maria Kathrine Tveitar氓s: 鈥淪uppression of breast cancer metastasis by targeting tumour hypoxia?鈥
12.10-12.35:听Lena Hansen: 鈥淔antastic antibodies and where to find them鈥澨
12.35-12.45: Concluding remarks
March 2022
Chairs: Maria Lie Lotsberg听and Hanna Dillek氓s.听
When:听March 10, 2022, 09:00-13:00
Where:听Hybrid solution with in-person attendance at Auditorium 4, BBB, and digitally through Zoom.
Program:
09.00-09.15 听Introduction
09.15-10.00 听Keynote lecture by Professor Klaus Pantel: 鈥淟iquid Biopsy: From Discovery to Clinical Implementation鈥
10.00-10.30 听Coffee break
10.30-10.55 听Christina Engebrethsen: 鈥淧ersonalized treatment for HR+/HER2- locally advanced breast cancer鈥
10.55-11.20 听Sturla Gr酶ndal: 鈥淪tudying cell population dynamics in kidney fibrosis with mass cytometry鈥
11.20-12.00 听Lunch
12.00-12.25 听Sina Takle: 鈥淧ipeline for spatial analysis of the tumor microenvironment鈥
12.25-12.50 听Maria Omsland: 鈥淚nvestigation of a Nilotinib resistant CML cell line鈥
12.50-13.00 听Concluding remarks
听
November 2021
Chairs: Maria Lie Lotsberg听and Hanna Dillek氓s.听
When: November 11, 2021, 09:00-12:15
Where: Digital event in Zoom.
Program:
09.15-09.20: Introduction
09.20-09.45: Calum Leitch: 鈥淒rug development for acute myeloid leukaemia鈥
09.45-10.05: Coffee break
10.05-10.30: Stein-Erik Gullaksen: "Single cell immune and signaling profiles of chronic myeloid leukemia: modulation of cell population and intracellular signaling early after start of therapy"
10.30-10.55: Amalie Fagerli Tegnander: 鈥淎GR2 in breast cancer 鈥 part of the estrogen receptor-related cancer biology?鈥
10.55-11.40: Lunch break
11.40-12.05: Kala Chand Debnath: 鈥淢etabolic coupling between oral cancer cells and fibroblasts promotes a stem cell-like and migratory phenotype鈥
12.05-12.30: Elaheh Mahootchi: 鈥淕ADL1 is a multifunctional decarboxylase with tissue-specific roles in 尾-alanine and carnosine production鈥
12.30-12.40: Concluding remarks
听
September 2021
Chairs: Cornelia Schuster听补苍诲听Maria Lie Lotsberg.听
When: September 16, 2021, 09:00-12:30
Where: Digital event in Zoom.
Program:
09.00-09.15: Introduction
09.15-10.00: Keynote lecture by Hege Avsnes Dale and Hans Olav Rolfsnes: "The Molecular Imaging Center 鈥 your local one-stop-shop for imaging cells, tissue and small animals"
10.00-10.15: Break
10.15-10.40: Kelly Marcela Velasco Pinto: "The SCHAD fatty acid oxidation enzyme in insulin secretion: Functional analyses of rare variants in human populations and a new murine model of congenital hyperinsulinism of infancy"
10.40-11.05: Stephanie Gisela Schwab: "Metastatic potential of systemic glioblastoma stem cell lines in vivo"
11.05-11.30: Break
11.30-11.55: Sushil Dhakal: "AXL inhibition enhances Type 1 interferon (IFN) response and potentiates chemo-immunotherapy"
11.55-12.20: Austin Rayford: "AXL targeting in the tumor immune microenvironment: translational insights from clinical trials"
12.20-12.30: Concluding remarks
听
June听2021
Chairs: Postdocs听Cornelia Schuster听补苍诲听Maria Lie Lotsberg.听
When: June 17, 2021听at 09.00-12.15
Where: Digital event in Zoom.
Program:
09:00-09:05听 听Welcome
09:05-09:55听 听Keynote lecture by听Gro Vatne R酶sland:听鈥淢icrobiota in health and diseases 鈥 a short overview鈥
09:55-10:15听 听Break
10:15-10.35听 听Cara Wogsland:听鈥淎dvancing human cancer research with murine tumor models and mass cytometry"
10:35-11:05听 听Camilla Ekanger: 鈥淗uman organotypic airway and lung organoids for the study of SARS-CoV-2听infectivity and cytopathology鈥
11:05-11:25听 听Break
11:25-11:45听 听Stephanie Gisela Schwab:听鈥淭racking of systemic glioblastoma stem cells in vivo鈥
11:45-12:05听 听Shayla Sharmine:听鈥淟iquid biopsy in follow-up of metastatic melanoma treatment鈥
12:05-12:15听 听Closing remarks
听
February 2021
Chairs: Postdocs听Cornelia Schuster听补苍诲听Maria Lie Lotsberg.听
When: February 25, 2021听at 09.00-12.00
Where: Digital event in Zoom.
Program:
09:00-09:05:听 Welcome
09:05-09:25:听听Lise Ingebriktsen: 鈥淚dentification of an age-related breast cancer gene expression signature with strong prognostic value鈥
09:25-09:45:听听Katrin Kleinmanns: 鈥淐D24-targeted intraoperative fluorescence image-guided surgery leads to improved cytoreduction of ovarian cancer in a preclinical orthotopic surgical model鈥
09:45-10:00:听听BREAK
10:00-10:45:听听Keynote lecture by Hrvoje Miletic: 鈥淕lioblastoma treatment resistance 鈥 is there a way out?鈥
10:45-11:15:听 BREAK
11:15-11:35:听听Irmelin Wilhelmsen Nilsen: 鈥淐ancer, imaginaries and sensation journalism鈥
11:35-11:55:听听Hilde Lien: 鈥淢ultiplex analyses of tumor heterogeneity in low-risk endometrial carcinomas鈥
11:55-12:00:听听Closing remarks
听
November听2020
Chairs: Postdocs听Cornelia Schuster听补苍诲听Maria Lie Lotsberg.听
When: November 26, 2020 at 09.00-12.15
Where: Digital event in Zoom. Access codes will be sent to the registered participants.
Registration: Use听.
Program:
09:00 to 09:10 | Welcome |
09:10 to 09:55 | Keynote lecture 鈥淢oney and careers in science: where to start?鈥澨Yamila Cleuren |
09:55 to 10:15 | Break |
10:15 to 10:35 | 鈥淭he prognostic value of MSI markers in endometrial cancer鈥澨Madeleine Myrvold |
10:35 to 10:55 | 鈥淭he anti-tumor effect of cabozantinib on melanoma brain metastasis禄听Trond Are Manns氓ker |
10:55 to 11:25 | Break |
11:25 to 11:45 | 鈥淓pithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in aggressive prostate cancer鈥澨Astrid B酶rretzen |
11:45 to 12:05 | 鈥淒ifferences in immune cell landscapes between hereditary and sporadic breast cancer"听Cecilie Askeland |
12:05 to 12:15 | Closing remarks |
听
September 2020
Chairs: Postdocs听Cornelia Schuster,听Kenneth Finne听补苍诲听Maria Lie Lotsberg.听
When: September 17, 2020 at 09.00-12.10
Where: Online event in Zoom
Program:
09:00-09:15 | Welcome |
09:15-10:00 | Keynote lectures: 芦How may ELIXIR Norway help you analyse your data?禄,听Christine Stansberg 芦Centre for Digital Life Norway禄,听Kari M. Ersland |
10:00-10:20 | BREAK |
10:20-10:40 | 鈥淭he role of skin lymphatics in salt-sensitive hypertension鈥,听Irene Matre Thowsen |
10:40-11:00 | 鈥淭AM receptor dynamics in melanoma therapy resistance鈥,听Jing Kang |
11:00-11:30 | BREAK |
11:30-11:50 | 鈥淢etabolomic signatures that predict heart failure in rats鈥,听Anne-Maj Samuelsson |
11:50-12:10 | 鈥淩ole of obesity in development of breast cancer鈥,听Anastasiia Rulina |
听
April 2020
April 16th 2020听- was cancelled due to the pandemic situation.
January 2020
Thursday January 30 2020听at 10.00-14.00
Conference room 109F, BB-building (opposite the auditoria)
Postdocs听Kenneth Finne听补苍诲听Cornelia Schuster听are chairs.听
Program
10:00 鈥 10:05听听听 Welcome
10:05 鈥 10:50听听听听What is innovation, and how can my research become innovative?听Yves Aubert
10:50 鈥 11:05听听听 Coffee and tea break
11:05 - 11:25听听听听听The pan-RAF and SFK inhibitor CCT196969 effectively inhibits melanoma brain metastasis in vitro,听Agathe Reigstad
11:25 鈥 11:45听听听听Understanding the role of Nestin in basal-like breast cancer: Generation of a Nestin KO TNBC cell line by CRISPR/Cas9 editing,听Vandana Ardawatia
11:45 鈥 12:30听听听 Lunch
12:30 鈥 12:50听听听听Analyzing tumor vessels with artificial intelligence,听Reidunn Jetne Edelmann
12:50 鈥 13:10听听听听Investigating the Role of Microglia in Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration Using Imaging Mass Cytometry,听Ida Herdlev忙r
13:10 鈥 13:30听 听听Development and application of highly multiplexed imaging approaches in basic and translational Axl biology research,听Austin Rayford.
13:30 鈥 13:35听听听 Wrap听up and concluding remarks
November 2019
Thursday November 7th听2019听at 10.00-14.00
Conference room 109F, BB-building (opposite the auditoria)
Postdocs听Kenneth Finne听补苍诲听Cornelia Schuster听are chairs.听
Program:听
10:00-10:05听 听Welcome
10:05-10:50听 听Keynote: Investigating the impact of stroma components on breast DCIS progression and treatment response.Carina Strell, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
10:50-11:05听 听COFFEE AND TEA BREAK
11:05-11:25听 听Genetic regulation of melanoma latency and angiogenic response.Hanna Dillek氓s
11:25-11:45听 听Summer internship in the Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children鈥檚 Hospital - and my AGR2 and AGR3 Project.Amalie Tegnander
11:45-12:05听 听Isolation and characterization of cells derived from Human Epithelial Rests of Malassez.Ridhima Das
12:05-12:45听 听LUNCH
12:45-13:05听 听miRNA and mRNA sequencing of tumor and metastasis from low risk clear听cell renal cell carcinoma patient.Ole P Nordb酶
13:05-13:25听 听Vitamin K influences therapeutic resistance in Melanoma.Noelly Madeleine
13:25-13:30听 听Wrap-up and concluding remarks
听
September 2019
Thursday September 19th听2019听at 10.00-14.00
Aud. B301, Haukeland University Hospital, Main building 3rd floor
Postdocs听Kenneth Finne听补苍诲听Cornelia Schuster听are chairs.听
Program:
10:00-10:05听 OrganizersWelcome and information on听CCBIO901
10:05-10:50听 Harald BarsnesKeynote: How to welcome the new era of public research data
10:50-11:05听 Coffee and tea break
11:05-11:25听 Henriette Erts氓sScience Outreach - How and Why?
11:25-11:45听 Synn酶ve Nymark AasenEffective treatment of metastatic melanoma by combining MAPK and PI3K signaling pathway inhibitors
11:45-12:05听 David Erik ForsseInterim analysis in MoMaTEC2; adjusting cutoff for hormonal receptors
12:05-12:45听 Lunch break.听Included (just remember to register)
12:45-13:35听 Kjersti DavidsenImmunotherapy for cancer stem cells. A perfect match?
13:35-13:55听 Maria LotsbergMolecular mechanisms of AXL mediated drug resistance in听NSCLC
13.55-14.00听 OrganizersWrap-up and concluding remarks
April 2019
Thursday April 4th听2019听at 10.00-14.00
Conference room 109F, BB-building (opposite the auditoria)
Kenneth Finne听and Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen are coordinators of this听CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium.听
Program:
1000 -听1005:听 听Organizers: Welcome and information about听CCBIO901
1005 -听1050: 听Charalampos "Haris" Tzoulis : Inspirational lecture
1050 -听1105: 听 Coffee / tea break
1105 -听1125:听听 Pouda Panahandeh: Targeting sphingolipid pathway in breast cancer
1125 -听1145:听听 Sigrid Nakken: Transcriptomic characterization of renal cell carcinoma patients with progressive disease despite low initial risk of progression.
1145 -听1205:听听 Heidrun Vethe: Regeneration of beta-cells for diabetes cell therapy
1205 -听1240:听听 Lunch (included if you have registered)
1240 -听1300:听听 Kjersti Hestetun: Is CDX2 an important biomarker in non-metastatic colorectal cancer?
1300 -听1320:听听 Kristine Aaseb酶: Is CDX2 an important biomarker in metastatic colorectal cancer
February 2019
February 14th 2019听at 10.00-14.00.
Conference room BBB (across the hall from the auditoria).
Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen and and Kenneth Finne are coordinators of this听CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium.
Program:
10:00-10:05听听L. C. Thomsen / K. Finne:听Information on CCBIO JUSS / CCBIO901
10:05-10:25听 Stacey D鈥檓ello Peters: "Studying GAS6-AXL RTK signaling by mass cytometry"
10:25-10:45听 Harsh Dongre: "microRNA deregulation in Squamous Cell Carcinomas of Oral and Vulva: role of stromal microRNAs in tumour progression"
10:45-11:05听 Monica Helles酶y: "A high throughput library screen of potential drug combination candidates for the AXL inhibitor bemcentinib (BGB324) in acute myeloid leukemia"
11:05-11:20听 Coffee/tea break
11:20-11:40听 Silje Kj酶lle: "Hypoxia response and stromal hypoxia in breast cancer"
11:40-12:00听 Eirik J. Tranv氓g: "Precision drugs in the Norwegian reimbursement system"
12:00-12:30听 Lunch break: Included (just remember to register)
12:30-13:15听 Inge Jonassen: Inspirational lecture
November 2018
November 19-20, lunch-to-lunch meeting. Find more information here.
A special and extended CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium at Panorama Hotel & Resort at Sotra, just outside Bergen.听
Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen, Erling H酶ivik听and Kenneth Finne听were听coordinators.
Program
Day1, Monday 19. November 2018
10:15 Bus departure from Haukeland Campus
12:00 LUNCH
13:00 Welcome
13:10 Inspirational lecture, Professor Roland Jonsson
14:00 BREAK
14:15 鈥淟ife in Science: Plan your academic career鈥, Researcher Agnete Engelsen and Professor Camilla Krakstad
15:00 BREAK
15:45 Workshops:
- How to create great figures, Micha毛l Marie
- How to present your work in 3 minutes, Marion Solheim
18:00 Scientific presentations by Junior Scientists:
i) Single cell detection of early therapy response in acute myeloid leukemia by mass cytometry, Benedicte Tislevoll
ii) Establishment of organoids as preclinical model in endometrial cancer, Hege Fredriksen Berg
iii) Deeper characterisation of the tumor microenvironment in ovarian cancer using single cell mass Cytometry by Time Of Flight (CyTOF), Shamundeeswari Anandan
19:30 DINNER
Day2, Tuesday 20. November 2018
BREAKFAST
08:30 Inspirational lecture, Professor Stein Ove D酶skeland
09:20 BREAK
09:35 Scientific presentations by Junior Scientists:
i) Characterisation of an ITGA11-Cre mouse strain with Cre recombinase expression restricted to subsets of fibroblasts, Jahedul Alam
ii) Development of novel combined CSF1R/FLT3-targeted therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, Kristine Sletta
iii) Proteomic profiles across breast cancer subtypes, Kenneth Finne
10:45 Inspirational/scientific presentation, Researcher Nils Halberg
11:35 Closing remarks
12:00 LUNCH
13:00 Bus returns to Haukeland Campus
September 2018
Thursday September 27th听2018 at 10.00-14.00.
Conference room BBB (across the hall from the auditoria).
Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen and Reidunn Jetne Edelmann听are coordinators of this听CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium.
10.00-10.10听听听 Information about the CCBIO Junior Scientist Seminars and the UiB course program
10.10-11.00 听听 Bruce Baguley:听"Life in Science" - Inspirational lecture with plenary discussion
11.00-11.20 听听 Coffee break
11.20-11.40 听听 Mary Gertrude Musana Lie-Nielsen:听"Can automated clustering of CyTOF data discover cell types?"
11.40-12.00 听听 Waqas Azeem:听"Transcription factor-mediated reprogramming of gene regulation in prostate cells"
12.00-12.20 听听 Havjin Jacob:听"miRNA听as prognostic markers in colorectal听cancer"
12.20-12.50听 听 LUNCH BREAK
12.50 -13.20 听 Anne Blanchard:听"Policy visions of personalised medicine - perspective from the ELSA group"
April 2018
Thursday April 26th 2018 at 10.00-13.30
Conference room 109F at the BB-building听(beneath the stairs, across auditoriums) UIB, Bergen
Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen and听Erling H酶ivik听are coordinators of the听CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium.
10:00-10:50 Monika Kvernenes: "The Arts and Craft of giving a presentation"
10:50-11:10听Coffee break
11:10-11:30听Katharina Bischof: "Preclinical imaging of ovarian cancer models aided by the cell surface marker CD24鈥
11:30-11:50听Sara Ghaderi:听"Prescribed medications in survivors of adult-onset cancer in Norway: A register-based study"
11:50-12:10听Sunniva Sakkestad:听"What can mass cytometry teach us about immune responses in volunteers experimentally infected with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli?"
12:10-12:50听Lunch break
12:50-13:10听Ragnhild Haugse:听鈥淪ecrets of a sonoporated cell鈥
13:10-13:30听Adrian Drazic:听"The unique N-terminal maturation process of actin in humans"
March 2018
Thursday March 8th 2018
Auditorium 4, BB-building, Jonas Lies vei 91
Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen and听Erling H酶ivik听are coordinators of the听CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium.
PROGRAM
1000-1045 Anne Christine Johannessen:听" My life in akademia - 听from local to global"
1045-1105 Henriette Aksnes:听"N-terminal听acetylation听of听actin听by听NAA80听
impacts听cell听migration"
1105-1120 Break
1120-1140 Kimberly J. Hatfield:听"Establishment of an Ex Vivo Facility in Bergen"
1140-1215 Kristine Fasmer:听"Does it matter whether your abdominal fat is stored inside or outside in endometrial cancer?"
1215-1245 Lunch
1245-1330 Mari Halle:听"Targeting receptor tyrosine kinases in cancer"
November听2017
November 23rd听2017
Auditorium 4, BBB-building,听10.00-颅14.00
Symposium Chairs: Erling H酶ivik and Liv Cecilie V. Thomsen
Scientific program
10.00-10.10:听听 Startup; Input from the director of CCBIO; Prof Lars A. Akslen (K1)
10.10-10.55: 听听Stian Knappskog (Key presentation, K2): Genomic evolution of breast cancer metastasis and relapse
10.55-11.15: 听听Coffee break
11.15-11.35:听听 Lalit Rane (K2): In situ mRNA detection by proximity ligation assay in myeloid leukemias
11.35-11.55:听听 Ingvild L. Tangen (K2): Expression of L1CAM in preoperative blood samples detects LN metastases and poor outcomes in endometrial cancer
11.55-12.15听听听 Reidun Jetne Edelmann (K1):听Notch1/Jagged1-defined tumor vessel 听phenotypes in human breast cancer
12.15-12.55听听听 LUNCH (free lunch included, please specify upon registration)
12.55-13.40:听听听Marion Solheim (UIB Communication): Young scientists and media听coverage - a talk about responsibility, free PR and future funding
13.40-14.00听听 Tara Helen Dowling (K2):听 Exploring novel treatment听approaches for acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes; by developing an innovative Ossicle xenograft mouse model
听
August 2017
August 31st听2017
Auditorium 4, BBB-building,听10.00-颅14.00
Symposium Chairs: Erling H酶ivik and Liv Cecilie V. Thomsen
Scientific program
10.00-10.05:听听 Startup; from the Chairs
10.05-10.45: 听听Key presentation:听Erlend Hodneland (Christian Michelsen Research AS):听Machine learning in biomedical sciences
10.45-11.00: 听听 Coffee break
11.00-11.20:听听 Tina Fonnes (K2): Loss of Asparaginase-like protein 1 is a marker for poor survival in endometrial carcinoma
11.20-11.40:听听 Martha Rolland Jacobsen (K1): Analysis of biomarkers in a molecular diagnostic tool for oral squamous cell carcinoma
11.40-12.00听听听 Stein-Erik Gullaksen (K2): Using mass cytometry for biomarker听discovery in chronic myeloid leukemia treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors
12.00-12.55听听听 LUNCH (free lunch included, please specify upon registration)
12.55-13.40:听听 Sura Aziz (K1): Predictive molecular biomarkers in breast cancer,听current progress and future challenges
13.40-14.00听听听 Hildegunn Aase (K1):听 Digital breast tomosynthesis, the future听screening tool for breast cancer?
June 2017
June 15th听2017
D303/ Birkhaugsalen auditorium, 3rd floor Sentralblokken, Haukeland University Hospital
10.00-颅14.00
Symposium Chairs: Agnete Engelsen and Erling H酶ivik
Scientific program
10.00-10.30: 听听 Gro Gausdal (BerGenBio ASA): BerGenBio: From bench to bedside: Developing first-in-class drugs to treat aggressive cancer
10.30-10.50: 听 Coffee break
10.50-11.30:听 Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen & J酶rn Skavland (K2): Cryoimmunotherapy听in听castration听resistant听prostate听cancer听- a phase听1 study听with听several听novel听aspects听on听treatment听补苍诲听analysis
11.30-11.50: 听 Christine Stansberg (NORBIS): NORBIS, the national research school in bioinformatics, biostatistics and systems biology
11.50-13.00:听听 Lunch (lunch included, please specify upon registration)
13.00-13.20听听听听Emilia Signe Hugdahl (K1): Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations in melanoma
13.20-13.40听听听 Reidun 脝s酶y (K2) Iodinin analogues - potential novel anti-leukaemic drugs
13.40-14.00听听听听Sandy Chen (IBM/ Uni. Auckland): Catching up to the times, the story of a conventional chemotherapeutic agent in the age of immune and targeted-therapy
February 2017
February听23rd听2017
Auditorium听B-颅鈥301,听Haukeland听University听Hospital
10.00-颅14.00
Symposium Chairs: Agnete Engelsen and Erling H酶ivik
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
10.00-10.50: 'Inspirational lecture' by Professor Ola Myklebost (K2):NoSarC 鈥 Norwegian Sarcoma Consortium (),听- Personalised treatment for orphan cancers
10.50-11.00: Coffee break
11.00-11.45: Caroline Benedicte Nitter Engen (K2): Personalised medicine听and the evolution of new health entities and identities
11.45-12.45: Lunch (lunch included, please specify upon registration)
12.45-13.15: Hege Avsnes Dale/ Endy Spriet (Molecular Imaging Center (MIC)):听Introduction to super-resolution imaging
13.15-13.20: Coffee break
13.40-14.00: Hanna Dillek氓s (K2):听Recurrence of breast cancer in relation to delayed reconstruction
13.20-13.40: Sigmund Ytre-Hauge (K2):听MRI texture analysis in endometrial cancer
听
听
December 2016
December 8th 2016 10.00-14.00听
Auditorium, Hudbygget, Haukeland University Hospital.
Symposium Chairs: Elisabeth Wik and Erling H酶ivik
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM听
10.00-10.45:听Inspirational lecture: Professor Arild Raaheim (Department of Education, UIB): A supervisor's view on supervision. Challenges and possibilities
10.45-11.00:听Coffee and gingerbreads
11.00-11.20:听Karen Mauland (K1): High proportion of visceral fat is linked to poor endometrial cancer outcome
11.20-11.40:听Gry Sandvik Haaland (IBM):听Warfarin use and cancer incidence
11.40-12.00:听Trung Ha (K2): Preclinical Activity and Molecular Mechanisms of Resazurin in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
12.00-12.40:听Lunch (lunch included, please specify upon registration)
12.40-13.00:听Hanna Dillek氓s (K1): Recurrence of breast cancer in relation to delayed reconstruction
13.00-14.00:听Inspirational lecture: Professor Curtis Harris (Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH):听Integration of "OMIC" Biomarkers: A Precision Medicine Strategy for Lung Cancer
You can read an article about the December Junior Scientist Symposium here.
听
August听2016
August听25th 2016, 10.00-14.00.听
Auditorium B301, Haukeland University Hospital, Sentralblokken (main building), Bergen.听Symposium Chairs: Agnete Engelsen and Elisabeth Wik
听
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
10.00-10.50: 听 'Inspirational lecture' by Professor Daniela Elena Costea (K1)
10.50-11.00: 听 Coffee break
11.00-11.20:听听 脴ystein Eikrem (K1): New methods clear dust off old biopsies - RNA听sequencing of FFPE tissues
11.20-11.40:听听 Kjersti Davidsen (IBM): Introduction to cancer immunotherapy
11.40-12.00: 听 Kjersti Davidsen (IBM): Enhancing the effect of immune checkpoint inhibition by targeting Axl
12.00-13.00: 听 Lunch (lunch included, please specify upon registration)
13.00-13.20: 听 Maria Kolnes Lie (IBM): Inhibition of Axl in erlotinib-resistant NSCLC cells abrogates autophagic flux and induces immunogenic cell death
13.20-14.00: 听 Kjell Petersen (Department of Informatics): Integrated dataanalysis of proteomics and transcriptomic data from听brain cancer听model
听
April 2016
April 28th 2016, 10.00-14.00.听
Auditorium B301, Haukeland University Hospital, Sentralblokken (main building), Bergen.听Symposium Chairs: Agnete Engelsen and Elisabeth Wik
听
PROGRAM:
10.00-10.05听听听 Welcome and introduction to the PhD course CCBIO 901
10.05-10.25:听听 Katharina Bischof: Prognostic and predictive markers in high grade听 serous ovarian carcinoma
10.25-10.45: 听 Deusdedit Tusubira: Repression of mitochondrial respiration is an important step in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)
10.45-11.00: 听 Coffee break
11.00-12.00: 听 Nils Halberg: Inspirational lecture
12.00-13.00: 听 Lunch (lunch included, please specify upon registration)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听Proteomics session:
13.00-13.20: 听 Frode Selheim: PROBE: A core facility for mass spectrometry based proteomics
13.20-14.00: 听 Even Birkeland and his master student Silje Kj酶lle:听Secreted proteins in breast cancer, a proteomics approach
听
February 2016
February 25th 2016, 10.00-14.00
Auditorium 2, BBB
10.00-14.00听
Symposium Chairs: Agnete Engelsen and Elisabeth Wik
If you want to attend, we kindly ask you to register your attendance and lunch preferences through this within February 24th.
PROGRAM:
10.00-10.20:听听 Maria Ramnefjell: Vascular invasion and vascular proliferation are adverse prognostic factors in non-small cell lung carcinoma
10.20-10.40: 听 Saroj Rajthala: Micro-RNA profiling of oral cancer stroma
10.40-11.00: 听 Konstantina Dimitrakopoulou: Gene expression deconvolution in complex tissue samples
11.00-11.15: 听 Coffee break
11.15-12.00:听听 Cecilie Gudveig Gjerde, the winner of 'Forsknings Grand Prix' 2015:听Research communication - business or pleasure?
12.00-13.00: 听 Lunch (lunch included, please specify upon registration)
13.00-13.20: 听 Mahdi Hassan-Olive: Thioridazine sensitizes glioblastoma cells to听temozolomide by impairing autophagy
13.20-13.40: 听 Henriette Erts氓s Christie: Microenvironment-contextual cell signaling听is attenuated with age
13.40-14.00:听听 Jessica Furriol: IL8 gene polymorphisms in combination with clinical听factors predict disease free survival in breast cancer patients
You are all very welcome! Please feel free to circulate this information if you know of other researchers/staff that you think would find this symposium interesting.听
November 2015
November 26th 2015
Auditorium 4, BBB
Symposium Chairs: Agnete Engelsen and Elisabeth Wik
PROGRAM
- 10.00-11.00 Professor Roger Strand "Cancer: illness, disease and sickness". Inspirational lecture with plenary discussion. available.
听 - 11.00-11.10 Coffee break
听 - 11.10-11.30: Pugazendhi Murugan Erusappan: The role of the cytoplasmic tail of integrin alpha 11
听 - 11.30-11.50 Martin Pilskog: Analysing response of sunitinib treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
听 - 11.50-12.10 Anna Berg: Tissue and imaging biomarkers for hypoxia predicts poor outcome in endometrial cancer
听 - 12.10-13.00 Lunch (included, please specify upon registration)
听 - 13.00-13.20 Gry Haaland: Register based cancer research -challenges and opportunities
听 - 13.20-13.40 Stein-Erik Gullaksen: Mass Cytometry in Bergen
听 - 13.40-14.00 Fanny Pelissier: High dimensional analysis of age-related phenotypic diversity in human mammary epithelial cells
September 2015
September 17th 2015
Auditorium 4, BBB
Symposium Chairs: Agnete Engelsen & Elisabeth Wik
PROGRAM 鈥 CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium
- 10.00-10.20听Anne Blanchard: Big pharma, medicalisation and the good life
- 10.20-11.05听Bj酶rn Tore Gjertsen: How to succeed in cancer research (Or how do you define yourself into success鈥)
- 11.05-11.20 Break
- 11.20-11.40听Henriette Cristie Ertsaas: Microsphere cytometry to study microenvironment contextual cell signaling
- 11.40-12.00听Kristi Kr眉ger: Nestin expression in breast cancer 鈥 a marker for angiogenesis and the basal-like phenotype
- 12.00-13.00 Lunch
- 13.00-13.20听Synn酶ve Yndestad: The PTEN pseudogene, friend or foe? A Long non Coding RNA that influences breast cancer through ceRNA network and microRNA interactions.
- 13.20-13.40听Yaping Hua: Development of a small molecule for treatment of castration recurrent prostate cancer via androgen receptor and IL6/STAT3 pathway.
- 13.40-14.00听Tiina Jokela: Dissection of mammary stem cell and cancer stem cell niche.
Read article about the September Junior Scientist Symposium.
听
April 2015
April 30th 2015
Auditorium 4, BBB
Symposium Chairs: Camilla Krakstad & Elisabeth Wik
PROGRAM 鈥 CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium April 30th 2015
10.15-11.00 Gyri Wester: The moral significance of the social inequalities in health: Some policy implications
11.00-11.15 Break
11.15-12.00 Liv Cecilie Vestrheim: The immune system's response; a common denominator in preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease
12.00-12.40 Lunch
12.40-13.00 Calum Leitch: Repositioning Hydroxyurea and Valproic Acid as combination therapy in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
13.00-13.20 Caroline Reed: TBA
13.30-13.40 Break
13.40-14.00 Dipak Sapkota: S100A16 Promotes Differentiation and Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
February 2015
February 12th 2015
Auditorium 2, BBB
Symposium Chairs: Camilla Krakstad & Elisabeth Wik
PROGRAM 鈥 CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium
- 10.00-10.40 Marion Solheim: Scientists and the media
- 10.40-11.00 Break
- 11.00-11.20 Karen Mauland: Aneuploidy predicts aggressiveness and poor prognosis in endometrial cancer, and is reflected in a 9-gene signature
- 11.20-11.40 Sura Aziz: Assessment of the proliferation markers in lymph node metastasis in breast cancer and their impact on survival
- 11.40-12.40 Lunch
- 12.40-13.20 Cecilie Brekke Rygh: Preclinical PET/CT at UoB
- 13.20-13.30 Break
- 13.30-13.50 Lavina Ahmed: Axl as a biomarker for cancer EMT
- 13.50-14.00 Concluding remarks
October 2014
October 30th 2014
PROGRAM 鈥 3rd CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium
Symposium Chairs: Camilla Krakstad & Elisabeth Wik
- 10.00-10.45 Lars Herfindal: Therapeutic nanocarriers for improved cancer chemotherapy
- 10.45-11.00 Break
- 11.00-11.20 Elisabet Ognedal Berge: WBC BRCA1 methylation predicts risk of OC
- 11.20-11.40 Rakel Brendsdal Forthun: Phosphoprotein expression in AML patients reflects patient stratification
- 11.40-12.30 Lunch
- 12.30-13.00 Anne Blanchard: "Why your new cancer biomarker may never work鈥: Cancer research between hope and despair
- 13.00-13.20 Himalaya Parajuli: Expression of integrin 谩-11 by carcinoma associated fibroblasts modulates oral squamous cell carcinoma behavior
- 13.20-13.40 Break
- 13.40-14.00 Sebastien Bougnaud: Tumor/stroma dynamics during tumor development and treatment
August 2014
PROGRAM 鈥 2nd CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium August 28th 2014
Symposium Chairs: Camilla Krakstad & Elisabeth Wik
听
- 10.00-10.45 Gro Vatne R酶sland: Trial lecture: Role of quiescent tumour cells in therapy resistance and cellular differentiation
听 - 10.45-11.00 Break
听 - 11.00-11.20 Erling H酶ivik: Exome sequencing of matched primary and metastatic tissues in endometrial cancer
听 - 11.20-11.30 Info CCBIO-901
听 - 11.30-12.30 Lunch
听 - 12.30-12.50 Cornelia Schuster: Predictive markers for treatment with bevacizumab monotherapy in metastatic melanoma
听 - 12.50-13.10 Maria Omsland: Cell-to-Cell Communication in Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Tunneling Nanotubes
听 - 13.10-13.20 Break
听 - 13.20-13.40 Jan Roger Olsen: Signal transduction and transcription factor activation in prostate cancer
听 - 13.40-14.00 Even Birkeland: The rationale behind a proteomics approach to discover breast cancer biomarkers
听
Abstracts
听
The Role of Quiescent Tumour Cells in Therapy Resistance
Gro Vatne R酶sland
Abstract
Therapy resistance represents the main challenge to successful cancer therapy, and it has recently been proposed that quiescent cancer cells may contribute to tumor relapse, metastasis and therapy resistance.
Cellular quiescence is defined as a dynamic, reversible state in which the cell is not actively dividing. The state of quiescence has predominantly been associated with adult stem cells. During tissue homeostasis, hematopoietic stem cells are known to transpose to and from the state of quiescence in order to maintain their stem cell properties. Moreover, quiescence is a crucial hallmark of stem cells, which allow them to preserve stemness and avoid differentiation. Specific niches are postulated to be essential in regulating entrance into the state of
quiescence, both in regards to the oxygen levels, as well as other microenvironmental factors. The development of cancer has been compared to the development of a neo鈥恛rgan, and the composition of intra鈥恡umoural microenvironmental niches may thus be paralleled with stem cell niches in healthy tissue.
Subpopulations of tumour cells exhibiting stem cell properties have been identified and shown to be involved in both initiation, as well as development of multiple kinds of cancers. Moreover, it has been shown that these cells possess an elevated clonogenic potential and therapy resistance, compared to more differentiated cancer cells. In evolving tumors, cellular entrance into the state of quiescence may protect the cancer cells from various cancer therapies.
As quiescent tumor cells challenges current treatment paradigms, the development of therapeutic strategies targeting quiescent tumour cells hold promise for overcoming major hurdles to successful cancer therapy.
Exome sequencing of matched primary and metastatic tissues in endometrial cancer
Erling H酶ivik
Abstract
Although the majority of endometrial carcinomas are diagnosed at an early stage, 15鈥20% of these patients develop metastatic disease. Patients with recurrent endometrial disease have reduced survival, lack effective targeted therapies and the molecular genetic alterations听 causing progression to metastasis remain poorly elucidated. In line with the need to characterize advanced cancer progression, the early events leading to cancer progression also needs to be enlightened, and hyperplasia of the endometrium is considered a precursor lesion of endometrial cancer. We have performed exome sequencing of a unique panel of endometrial cancers including hyperplasias, primary tumors and matching metastases to characterize the patterns of genetic alterations that occur towards cancer progression. Initial results will be discussed up against the large study performed by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network consortium (Nature 2013).
Predictive markers for treatment with bevacizumab monotherapy in metastatic melanoma
Cornelia Schuster, Lars A. Akslen, Oddbj酶rn Straume
Abstract
Angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer and essential for tumor growth and metastases. It is known that melanomas often are highly vascularized. The main objective of this study was to identify predictive markers for anti鈥恆ngiogenic treatment in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with bevacizumab monotherapy in a phase II clinical trial. As previously published, this treatment is well tolerated and showed disease control (CR, PR and SD for at least 6 months) in 31% of the patients.
Primary tumors, metastases and blood samples were investigated by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF鈥怉), the splice variant VEGF165b, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) were assessed.
100% of the patients with high HSP27 expression in metastases had either complete remission or partial response. Conversely, none of those with low HSP27 staining responded to treatment with bevacizumab monotherapy. All patients with high expression in primary tumors showed a non鈥恠ignificant trend to better treatment response. In contrast, neither VEGF鈥怉, VEGF165b nor bFGF staining in primary tumors or metastases predicted response. Measurements of HSP27 and bFGF in serum and VEGF165 in plasma did not show any correlation to treatment response.
In conclusion, high expression of HSP27 in metastases is significantly associated with response to treatment with bevacizumab monotherapy in patients with metastatic melanoma.
Cell鈥恡o鈥恈ell communication in acute myeloid leukemia by tunneling nanotubes
Maria Omsland
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous and aggressive blood cancer originating in the bone marrow. Conventional therapy is not well tolerated by elderly patients and the survival rate is limited. An improved understanding of cellular communication in AML could provide new information with respect to disease鈥恖inked mechanisms, progression, treatment and resistance. The tunneling nanotube (TNT) is a novel type of cell鈥恡o鈥恈ell communicator, 50鈥200 nm in diameter, F鈥恆ctin containing structure connecting two or more cells. TNTs have been observed in a variety of cells including macrophages, B and T鈥恈ells, different cancer cells and osteoclasts. It has been shown to transport various cell components including mitochondria, in addition to spread pathogens like viruses and bacteria. TNT has also been suggested to have a role in transfer of multi鈥恉rug resistance genes. The exact molecular mechanisms behind TNT formation are still unclear, but the TNF伪IP2 protein, found to be important in hematopoiesis, is one of the suggested molecules needed for TNT formation.
We have demonstrated the existence of TNTs in both AML cell lines and primary AML cells. We observed a variance in TNT numbers between the different cell types and greatest deviation was observed in the patient samples. The chemotherapeutics daunorubicin and idarubicin demonstrated a tendency of TNT increase while AraC quenched TNT formation. The functional impact of TNT in bone marrow and the potential role in AML therapy together with the role TNT play in drug transfer will be further investigated.
Signal transduction and transcription factor activation in prostate cancer
Jan Roger Olsen, Anne Margrete Oyan, Waqas Azeem, Margrete R. Hellem, Kristo Marviyn, Xisong Ke, Karl鈥怘enning Kalland
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) is a hormone receptor that upon ligand binding dimerizes and translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus where it functions as a transcription factor. Prostate cancer is dependent on androgen signalling through the AR. Clinically this is illustrated by the effect of castration on disseminated disease, and the effect of new anti鈥恆ndrogens and inhibitors of local steroid synthesis as the cancer becomes castration鈥恟esistant. AR鈥恆ctivation in castration鈥恟esistant disease can occur through AR鈥恆mplification, AR alternative splicing (which renders the AR androgen鈥恑ndependent), local steroid synthesis and receptor promiscuity. Even if prostate cancers show a strong selection pressure for AR signalling, tumours inadvertently relapse following blockade of AR鈥恠ignalling and the effect of AR鈥恠ignalling blockade on听 long鈥恡erm survival is debated. AR鈥恠ignalling blockade also leads to stronger activation of alternative signalling pathways, among those the IL6鈥怱TAT3 axis which we previously have shown to be fundamental in our cell model of prostate carcinogenesis, provoking the question if anti鈥恆ndrogen treatment digs its own grave.
Additionally, in vitro studies have shown that AR expression leads to irreversible growth inhibition in primary benign epithelial prostate cells. What then is the context that promotes the pro鈥恈arcinogenic effect of AR seen in vivo?
The rationale behind a proteomics approach to discover breastcancer biomarkers
Even Birkeland
Abstract
During the last fifteen years the advances in molecular genomics and transcriptomics has provided valuable insights in the biology of breast cancer. However, this has not had the impact on breast cancer treatment that was anticipated. Few studies have focused on the breast cancer proteome (all expressed proteins).
While it is estimated that the human genome comprises between 20,000 and 25,000 genes, the number of proteins in the human proteome is estimated at over 1 million.
Hence, a proteomics approach may identify novel protein biomarkers related to specific breast carcinomas with distinct underlying gene aberrations to further refine the existing molecular classification. Moreover, proteomics might reveal biological insights and identify protein biomarkers defining differences in therapy resistance, metastatic spread within a specific subtype, and patient prognosis.
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June 2014
PROGRAM 鈥 1st CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium June 11th
Symposium Chairs: Camilla Krakstad & Elisabeth Wik
- 10.00-10.10 Lars A. Akslen Welcome and introduction
- 10.10-10.30 Tarig Al-Hadi Osman: Multiple immunostaining identifies separate cancer stem cell subpopulations in oral squamous cell carcinoma
- 10.30-10-50 Emilia Hugdahl: BRAF-V600E expression in primary nodular melanoma: significance for survival and association with pathological features
- 10.50-11.00 Break
- 11.00-11.20 Ingrid Moen: Anti-metastatic action of inhibiting FAK and VEGFR-2 together in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
- 11.20-11.40 Agnete Engelsen: Axl regulates stemness in adult lung alveolar epithelial homeostasis and NSCLC drug resistance
- 11.40-12.30 Lunch
- 12.30-12.50 Anne Blanchard: The ELSA team of CCBIO: some ethical questions around cancer biomarkers
- 12.50-13.10 Mari Halle: Molecular profiling in fresh tissue with high tumour cell content promotes enrichment for aggressive uterine adenocarcinomas
- 13.10-13.20 Break
- 13.20-13.40 Ning Lu: Integrin 伪11尾1 integrin regulates tensional homeostasis in fibroblast/A549 carcinoma heterospheroids
- 13.40-14.00 Rakel Brendsdal Forthun: Phosphoprotein expression in AML patients reflects patient stratification
Abstracts
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Identification of Phenotypically Distinct Cancer Stem Cell Subpopulations in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Tarig A. Osman, Oddveig Rikardsen, Muy-Teck Teh, Dipak Sapkota, Xiao Liang, Evelyn Neppelberg, Adrian Biddle, Ian Mackenzie, Lars Uhlin-Hansen, Anne Ch. Johannessen and Daniela Elena Costea
Abstract
Background: Several markers have been shown to define subpopulations enriched for cancer stem cells (CSCs) and correlate with poor clinical outcome in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
Purpose: To investigate the pattern of expression and correlation with clinical parameters of two CSC markers, namely p75NTR and ALDH1A1, in both patient samples and cell lines.
Experimental design: Archival formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples from normal human oral mucosa (NHOM, n=31), patients with oral dysplasia (OD, n=10) or OSCC (n=177) were subjected to multiple IHC and some to qRT-PCR for expression of CSC and proliferationrelated
markers, BMI1 and Ki67. Correlations between CSC marker expression and clinical parameters were investigated. Primary cells and cell lines derived from NHOM, OD or OSCC were FACS- analyzed for the same markers.
Results: A higher frequency of cells positive for CSC markers was detected in OD and OSCC compared to NHOM. Co-localization of the two markers was a rare finding in OSCC as compared to NHOM or OD, and was more heterogeneous in OSCC cell lines than in OD and NHOM cells. Cells positive for p75NTR were more frequent in small size tumors, poorly to moderately differentiated tumors, and correlated with poor survival of patients otherwise (clinically) deemed as of better prognosis. Higher frequency of ALDH1A1+ cells was found to be associated with lymph node metastasis. Both p75NTR+ cells and ALDH1A1+ cells could emerge de novo from the respective negative sub-population after FACS sorting and in vitro growth, but with different kinetics.
Conclusion: Here we show that several stem cell sub-populations with distinct phenotypes co-exist in a tumor, each having impact on different clinical parameters. The cell听 subpopulations identified by the use of different CSC markers were found to be dynamic
populations, able to switch between phenotypes. In addition, our data suggest also that the stem cell heterogeneity is acquired and evolve parallel with carcinoma progression.
Molecular profiling in fresh tissue with high tumor cell content promotes enrichment for aggressive uterine adenocarcinomas.
Mari Kylles酶 Halle, Henrica Maria Johanna Werner, Camilla Krakstad, Hilde Engerud, Even Birkeland, Elisabeth Wik, Jone Trovik, Bj酶rn Bertelsen and Helga B. Salvesen.
Abstract
Many emerging tools for comprehensive molecular profiling of malignant lesions demand fresh frozen tissue with a high tumor purity. Often a tumor epithelial content of at least 80 % is recommended. This approach may lead to a systematic bias, and therefore we explore if this selection criterion lead to any systemic bias for the patient inclusion in uterine cancers. Clinicopathologic data for a population-based cohort of 553 patients with endometrial cancer and 328 patients with cervical cancer have been studied. Freshly frozen tumor specimens were collected from 424 patients and evaluated by haematoxylin stained frozen sections for tumor purity.
In the endometrial cancer series, high tumor cell purity (鈮80%) was significantly associated with high patient age, postmenopausal status, high grade and non-endometrioid histology compared to patients with <80% tumor purity. Patients with 鈮80% tumor purity had significantly lower disease specific 5-year survival rate of 76% compared to 86% for patients with tumors with <80% purity (p=0.02). In the cervical cancer series, high tumor purity was significantly more often found in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) compared to adenocarcinoma (AC)听 P=0.03). For the subgroup of AC (n=40) there was a significant association between high tumor purity in the fresh frozen samples and later occurrence of recurrent disease (P=0.04). In SCC, no significant associations between tumor purity and disease stage, grade or outcome were found. Apparently in line with this, grade was found to influence prognosis in AC, but not in SCC.
Our findings suggest that selection of samples based on high tumor purity in fresh frozen tissue may introduce a selection bias towards aggressive disease in uterine adenocarcinomas. Thus, the prevalence of potential molecular biomarkers identified in AC in particular, should be validated in a population-based setting to further explore clinical relevance. Also, molecular biomarkers only prevalent in subgroups with low tumor purity may go undetected in sample collections enriched for high tumor purity.
Anti-metastatic action of inhibiting FAK and VEGFR-2 together in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
Ingrid Moen, Matthew Gebre, Vanesa Alonso-Camino, Debbie Chen, David Epstein and Donald M. McDonald.
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a cytosolic non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. The present study sought to determine whether metastasis could be reduced by inhibition of FAK alone or together with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). OXA-11, a small-molecule amino pyrimidine inhibitor of FAK, was studied in RIP-Tag2 transgenic mice with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors where liver metastases are frequent at older ages. As invasion and metastasis have been reported to increase in this model after inhibition of VEGF signaling, we asked whether this effect could be overcome by administering OXA-11 together with an inhibitor of VEGFR-2 (DC101). After confirming that OXA-11 reduced FAK phosphorylation at Y397 and Y861 in tumors and liver at the therapeutic dose, we examined effects on primary tumors and liver metastases. Treatment of mice from age 14 to 17 weeks with OXA-11 alone reduced tumor vascularity and invasion but had only modest effects on metastasis. Administration of OXA-11 together with DC101 not only reduced tumor size, vascularity, and invasion, but also decreased the incidence, abundance, and size of liver metastases. Liver metastases were found in 100% of mice in the vehicle group, 84% in the OXA-11 group, and 79% in the DC101 group, but were found in only 48% of mice treated with OXA-11 plus DC101, and those present were smaller and less numerous. Together, the findings indicate that concurrent inhibition of FAK and VEGF signaling had beneficial effects on tumors and on the occurrence of liver metastases in RIP-Tag2 mice.
Axl regulates stemness in adult lung alveolar epithelial homeostasis and NSCLC drug resistance
Agnete Svendsen Tenfjord Engelsen
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Five-year lung cancer survival is only 15 per cent. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprise 85% of lung cancer cases, and unfortunately available systemic therapies fail to cure most lung cancer patients. Recently,
up-regulation and activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) Axl has been identified as a clinically significant feature of acquired resistance to EGFR inhibitors in NSCLC, and Axl has been identified as a promising therapeutic target for overcoming drug resistance in NSCLC.
Axl belongs to the TAM family of RTKs. Unlike many other RTKs, the TAM receptors are found to be more prominently expressed postnatally extending into adulthood, but not widely or highly expressed during development. We hypothesize that Axl expression and activation is important for conferring plasticity in the alveolar population of adult progenitor cells.
While pathways regulating embryonic lung development have been well studied, the signaling pathways regulating cell proliferation, self-renewal or differentiation in the adult lung are still largely unexplored. Epithelial homeostasis in the adult lung alveoli is regulated by long-lived alveolar type 2 epithelial cells (AT2). These plastic AT2 cells are postulated to serve as multipotent progenitors in homeostasis of the alveolar lung epithelium.
We have shown that Axl expressing lung progenitor cells isolated from Axl-LacZ heterozygous mice by FDG fluorescence activated cell sorting are clonogenic in Epitehelial colony forming unit (Epi-CFU) assays. And furthermore that the Axl expressing cells are bipotent progenitors with the ability to differentiate into alvoeolar type 1 (AT1) and type 2 cells in heterotypic 3D organoid cultures in vitro.
Collectively, our results establish an important role for the Axl receptor in mediating stemness underlying lung homeostasis, as well as drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer.
Early progress from the ELSA team of CCBIO: some ethical and social questions around cancer biomarkers
Anne Blanchard
Abstract
Within CCBIO, a research team has been mandated to explore the Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects (ELSA) of cancer biomarkers. This ELSA team is at the moment composed of two main investigators: Prof. Roger Strand, employed at 25%, and Anne Blanchard, who is a full-time post-doc. Both of them work at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities (or Senter for Vitenskapsteori, SVT) at the UiB; within the fields of philosophy of science and science and technology studies (STS), and are interested on issues of decision-making and governance at the science-society-policy interface. Anne started her post-doc in February 2014. The research is still in its early stages; therefore no results will be presented in the talk. Rather, Anne will present some key ELSA questions on cancer biomarkers, which have arisen from a literature review and informal discussions with CCBIO members. These broad questions will steer the ELSA efforts over the coming years, and include:
(i) What are the technical and scientific challenges related to cancer biomarker
discovery and development?
(ii) What is the role of science in broader cancer research?
(iii) What are the economic and institutional challenges facing cancer biomarkers?
(iv) What does it mean to be a just and caring society?
In the talk, Anne will expand a little bit on each of these questions. She will also map how these questions will be addressed (e.g., empirical data, methods), and what the next steps are for the ELSA team.
BRAF-V600E mutation in primary nodular melanoma: significance for survival and correlation with microscopic features
Hugdahl E, Ladstein R, Akslen LA
Abstract
Background. Nearly 50% of primary and metastatic melanomas harbor BRAF mutations, and the BRAF-V600E mutation accounts for approximately 70-80%. Recently, immunohistochemical detection of BRAF-V600E mutated protein in melanoma is reported to have both high sensitivity and specificity. Certain clinico-pathologic features are shown to be associated with BRAF mutation in primary melanoma, including younger age and superficial subtype. Presence of BRAF mutation in primary melanoma has not shown association with reduced survival, but the prognostic impact of BRAF-V600E protein expression has not yet been analyzed. This study sought to determine whether BRAF-V600E protein expression in nodular melanomas is associated with clinico-pathologic features and survival.
Materials and Methods. In a patient-series of 248 nodular cutaneous melanoma, BRAFV600E expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray (TMA) sections of paraffin-embedded archival tissue.
Results. The staining was cytoplasmatic and generally homogenous. Difference in staining intensity between tumor areas was rarely observed, and mainly related to the presence of necrosis and fixation artifacts. Nuclear staining in tumor cells and cytoplasmatic staining of
epithelial cells was observed in a few cases.
BRAF-V600E was expressed in 191 (77%) of the 248 melanomas, and was significantly associated with increased tumor thickness, presence of tumor ulceration and high mitotic count. There was no association between BRAF-V600E expression and tumor necrosis, the mitotic marker PHH3, age, sex or tumor anatomic site. Cases with positive BRAF-V600E expression showed significantly reduced survival. Importantly, in multivariate analysis, BRAFV600E was an independent prognostic factor when compared with the histopathologic variables included in the pT system from 2010: tumor thickness, ulceration and mitotic count.
Conclusion. BRAF-V600E expression was associated with aggressive histopathological features and reduced survival in this cutaneous nodular melanoma series, and was an independent prognostic factor.
Fibroblast a11b1 integrin regulates tensional homeostasis in fibroblast/A549 carcinoma heterospheroids
Ning Lu, Tine V. Karlsen, Rolf K. Reed, Marion Kusche-Gullberg, Donald Gullberg
Abstract
We have previously shown that fibroblast expression of a11b1 integrin stimulates A549 carcinoma cell growth in a xenograft tumor model. To understand the molecular mechanisms whereby a collagen receptor on fibroblast can regulate tumor growth we have used a 3D听 heterospheroid system composed of A549 tumor cells and fibroblasts without (a11+/+) or with a deletion (a11-/-) in integrin a11 gene. Our data show that a11-/-/A549 spheroids are larger than a11+/+/A549 spheroids, and that A549 cell number, cell migration and cell invasion in a collagen I gel are decreased in a11-/-/A549 spheroids. Gene expression profiling of differentially expressed genes in fibroblast/A549 spheroids identified CXCL5 as one molecule down regulated in A549 cells in the absence of a11 on the fibroblasts. Blocking CXCL5 function with the CXCR2 inhibitor SB225002 reduced cell proliferation and cell migration of A549 cells within spheroids, demonstrating that the fibroblast integrin a11b1 in a 3D heterospheroid context affects carcinoma cell growth and invasion by stimulating autocrine secretion of CXCL5. We furthermore suggest that fibroblast a11b1 in fibroblast/A549 spheroids regulates interstitial fluid pressure by compacting the collagen matrix, in turn implying a role for stromal collagen receptors in regulating tensional hemostasis in tumors.
In summary, blocking stromal a11b1 integrin function might thus be a stroma-targeted therapeutic strategy to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy.
Phosphoprotein expression in AML patients reflects patient stratification
Rakel Brendsdal Forthun
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease primarily occurring in the elderly population, with a median age of 67 years. For the patient group older than 65 years of age, the 5-year relative survival is only 5%. The disease is characterized by a block in differentiation of the myeloid hematopoietic cells and a clonal expansion of these undifferentiated cells. There are several parameters that can be used to stratify patients, with cytogenetic status having the highest prognostic impact. Although the patients are highly heterogeneous based on which myeloid cells are clonally expanded, cytogenetic aberrations and mutations acquired, treatment options for AML patients are highly similar and mostly based on a combination therapy of cytarabine and an antracycline.
In this study we investigated whether phosphoprotein expression could reflect current stratification strategies, including response to therapy and cytogenetic status, as well as mutational status of the highly prognosis-influencing receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3. By 2D difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) and principal component analysis (PCA) we analyzed the phosphoproteome of leukemic cells harvested from 62 AML patients, and performed supervised clustering. Here we clearly defined patients according to the given classification parameters. Further, we found several proteins that might serve as biomarkers for patients who will respond to traditional chemotherapy, and proteins that are associated with increased risk of relapse and worsened prognosis. Our results are currently being validated by the novel multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) method, permitting quantitative analysis of target peptides by mass spectrometry (MS). The use of this method will permit a thorough analysis of potential biomarkers using scarce sample material, and potentiate the analysis of a future larger sample set.
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