LUND UNIVERSITY - FACULTY OF MEDICINE
Uncovering the mechanisms of therapy resistance in cancer to develop less toxic, highly effective molecularly-targeted therapies.
Department of Laboratory Medicine
LUCC: Lund University Cancer Centre
StemTherapy: National Initiative on Stem Cells
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
The laboratory is working on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which leukemia and ovarian cancer cells survive extensive chemotherapy. We are engaged in several projects using a combination of genetic, bioinformatics, and biochemical tools to analyze the functions of specific target proteins and their role in pathogenesis.
The goal of our research is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying therapy resistance and to develop less toxic, highly effective, molecularly targeted therapies. One of our major focuses includes childhood leukemia, as this group of patients suffers from long-term side effects of the current therapies.
Acute leukemia is the most aggressive hematological disorder, accounting for around 140,000 new cases each year around the world. The overall survival in childhood ALL has reached about 80%, but when considering all risk groups, it is still below 50%. We are exploring the dynamics of kinase pathway signaling in acute leukemia and targeting components of these pathways as potential drug targets.
Three interconnected research areas.
Drug Resistance
Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which leukemia and ovarian cancer cells survive extensive chemotherapy, with a focus on the PI3K/mTOR pathway and BCL2 family proteins.
Drug Sensitivity Prediction
Development of machine learning models to predict drug sensitivity in cancer, enabling personalized treatment strategies and reducing unnecessary toxicity.
Drug Synergy
Investigating synergistic drug combinations that overcome resistance mechanisms, with particular focus on targeted combination therapy in relapsed leukemia.