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Research summary

Many cancer patients are difficult to cure, especially when having metastatic disease. Systemic therapy with radiopharmaceuticals could then be beneficial, due to the possibility to reach all tumour cells spread in the body. New knowledge regarding tumour biology, pathology and molecular biology demonstrate more tumour specific features/biomarkers that can be used for development of more specific radiopharmaceuticals and treatment strategies.

Our overall aim is 1) to study the possibilities to develop, optimise and apply new radiopharmaceuticals for therapy, and to optimise current treatment protocols, and to 2) enhance the understanding of mechanisms behind effects of ionising radiation both on tumour and normal tissues in vivo.

Some of the specific aims are:

1. to optimise treatment with radiolabelled hormone analogues for hormone receptor-expressing tumours.
2. to define possible biomarkers for radiotoxicity in tumour and normal tissues.
3. to optimise radionuclide therapy using enhanced understanding of basal molecular mechanisms behind radiobiological effects on tumour tissue and critical normal tissues.
4. to enhance the knowledge on radiation dosimetry and tolerance doses for radionuclide therapy in critical normal tissues.
5. to develop multi-parametric MRI for non-invasive evaluation of tumour tissue characteristics after radionuclide therapy.

Much research is focussed on the radiolabelled somatostatin analogue 177Lu-octreotate and the norepinephrine analogue 131I-MIBG for therapy of neuroendocrine tumours.

Currently, we examine ways to increase the radiobiological effects on tumour tissue by optimal fractionation schedules, new administration routes, increasing the receptor expression, reducing receptor saturation, combination with other agents (radiosenstizing).

We also examine ways to reduce the side effects on critical normal tissues, e.g by reducing kidney uptake and kidney toxicity. Furthermore, we suggest and validate biomarkers for radiobiological effects (toxicity) on tumour and normal tissues.

Research tools and resources

We perform translational studies on cell culture, mice, rats and patients. Pharmacokinetic and dosimetric studies are performed in tumour-bearing animals and man. Studies on toxicity and biological effects utilizes e.g imaging techniques (scintigraphy, MRI), histopathology, PCR and blotting techniques, microarray techniques, sequensing techniques, epigenetic analyses.

Current group members

Eva Forssell-Aronsson, PhD, Professor
Maria Ljungberg, PhD, Associate Professor
Emman Shubbar, PhD, Researcher
Johan Spetz, PhD, Researcher
Martin Andersson, PhD, Researcher
Mikael Montelius, PhD, Research engineer
Oscar Jalnefjord, PhD, Postdoc
Wendy Soria, PhD, Postdoc
Anja Schroff, PhD student
Amy Hardy, PhD student
Hana Bakr, PhD student
Hasan Mahmudul, MD, PhD student
Ingun Ståhl, PhD student
Julia Johansson, PhD student
Klara Esbo, PhD student
Louise Rosenqvist, PhD student
Nishte Rassol, PhD student
Jasmina Silnovic, PhD student

The Forssell-Aronsson Lab is also part of Sahlgrenska Translational Neuroendocrine Cancer Group (SATNEC).

Selected publications

1. 
   Sandblom V, StÃ¥hl I, Hansson C, Olofsson Bagge R, Forssell-Aronsson E.  Surgical Oncol, Jun 29: 148-156, 2019.
    
2. 
   Andersson C, Shubbar E, Schüler E, Ã…kerström B, Gram M, Forssell-Aronsson E. J Nucl Med, 2019 Mar 29, [Epub ahead of print] 2019.
    
3. 
   Spetz J, Langen B, Rudqvist N, Parris TZ, Dalmo J, Wängberg B, Nilsson O, Helou K, Forssell-Aronsson E. EJNMMI Res, 9(28): 1-11, 2019.
    
4. 
   Montelius M, Spetz J, Nilsson O, Forssell-Aronsson E, Ljungberg M.  NMR Biomed, e4060, 2019. DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4060.
    
5. 
   Spetz J, Langen B, Rudqvist N, Parris TZ, Helou K, Nilsson O, Forssell-Aronsson E.  BMC Cancer, 17(1):528, 2017.
    
6. 
   Dalmo J, Spetz J, Montelius M, Langen B, Arvidsson Y, Johansson H, Parris T, Helou K, Wängberg B, Nilsson O, Ljungberg M, Forssell-Aronsson E.  EJNMMI Res, 7(1):6, 2017.
    
7. 
   Langen B, Rudqvist N, Helou K, Forssell-Aronsson E.  J Nucl Med, 58(2):346-353, 2017. PMID: 27765860.
    
8. 
   Langen B, Rudqvist N, Spetz J, Swanpalmer J, Helou K, Forssell-Aronsson E.  Sci Rep, Oct 25;6:30738, 2016.
    
9. 
   Larsson M, Bernhardt P, Svensson J, Ahlman H, Wängberg B, Forssell-Aronsson E.  Eur J Nucl Med Mol Biol Res, 2(1): 49, 2012.
    
10. 
    Swärd C, Bernhardt P, Ahlman H, Wängberg B, Forssell-Aronsson E, Larsson M, Svensson J, Rossi-Norrlund R, Kölby L.  World J Surgery, 34(6): 1368-1372, 2010.