Jahn M Nesland (The Micrometastasis Project)
Group Leader: Jahn M Nesland, Prof., M.D., Ph.D.
Group Members:
M.D. Ph.D. Elin Borgen, Pathology
Cand med Hari Dhakal, Pathology
Dr philos Junbai Wang, Pathology
Bioingeneer Anne Renolen, Pathology
Bioingeneer Cecilie Schirmer, Pathology
Ingeneer Maria Rypdal, Pathology
Ingeneer Tove Anita Slyngstad, Pathology
Ingeneer Annvei Thrane, Pathology
Bioingeneer Ida Hellerud, Pathology
In this project we study the metastatic process and with special focus on circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow. It is a major collaboration between several research groups in Oncology clinic, Clinic for surgery, Institute for Cancer Research and Patology Laboratories.
By studying circulating tumor cells, we are studying cancer cells that have come half way in the metastatic process, and the clinical relevance has been demonstrated in many publications.
The aims are:
To continue with development of immunological methods for diagnostics and quatification of tumor cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow by use of monoclonal antibodies and immunomagnetic beads.
To apply immuomagnetic beads for enrichment of tumor cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow and to do immunological and molecular characterization of the cells.
Explore the possibility to develop specific PCR methods for detection and quantification of tumor cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow and further characterize these cells
Characterize primary tumors and metastases from the same patients and compare expression profiles.
The micrometastasis laboratory (Head Anne Renolen) receives clinical material, prepare for primary diagnostics and store material for other analyses. Abasic immunocytochemical method is applied for routine use, using AE1/AE3 as a marker for detection of cytokeratins. A clinical database provides information about the patients.