CCB researchers publish in Journal of Clinical Oncology

The Molecular Genetics group at the Department of Cancer Prevention, headed by Ragnhild A. Lothe, has recently published a translational research paper in the highly rated “Journal of Clinical Oncology” (journal impact factor 17.2). The article entitled Genomic Changes in Chromosomes 10, 16, and X in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors Identify a High-Risk Patient Group is published in the “Translational oncology” section.

The first three authors are PhD candidate Helge R. Brekke (1st author), dr. Franclim Ribeiro and dr. Matthias Kolberg (from left to right in photo).

“This is an interdisciplinary multicentre study”, says Ragnhild A. Lothe.
“Together with the long term collaborators professor Fredrik Mertens, from Dept of Clinical Genetics at Lund University and the oncologists here at our own hospital, Kirsten Sundby Hall and Sigbjørn Smeland, we have been able to identify a high risk group among patients with malignant nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). In an unbiased manner the DNA copy number variation throughout the tumor genome was examined for suitability as surrogate markers for survival. Variations at each of three chromosomal sites in the tumor identified a high risk group with only 11% 10 year disease specific survival. In contrast, the patients without any of these tumor changes had 74% 10 year survival.

Dr. Matthias Kolberg at Department of Cancer Prevention is currently following up the translational research on MPNST. By efforts from several approaches in their own laboratory diagnostic biomarkers are sought transferred to routine tests, and drug targets novel to MPNST are tested in model systems.”

Links:

Brekke HR, Ribeiro FR, Kolberg M, Agesen TH, Lind GE, Eknæs M, Hall KS, Bjerkehagen B, van den Berg E, Teixeira MR, Mandahl N, Smeland S, Mertens F, Skotheim RI, Lothe RA
Genomic Changes in Chromosomes 10, 16, and X in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors Identify a High-Risk Patient Group
J Clin Oncol (in press)