Aarhus researcher to investigate why some people never develop cancer
Professor Trine Hyrup Mogensen from the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University and the Department of Infectious Diseases at Aarhus University Hospital has been awarded DKK 17 million as part of an international grant totalling 25 million dollars from Cancer Grand Challenges for the research team ATLAS.
ATLAS is investigating the role antibodies play in the development of cancer. The researchers will analyse blood samples from, among others, centenarians, individuals with high-risk exposure who remain cancer-free, and twin pairs in which only one twin has developed cancer.
“We know that the immune system plays a decisive role in whether cancer cells are allowed to grow. However, we lack fundamental knowledge about why some people appear to be protected against the disease. With this grant, we now have the opportunity to systematically investigate whether specific antibodies may be part of the explanation,” explains Trine Hyrup Mogensen.
ATLAS is one of five new international research collaborations selected from 227 applications worldwide. Each team receives up to 25 million dollars from Cancer Grand Challenges to address some of the greatest challenges in cancer research.
Using advanced antibody profiling, the researchers will build a comprehensive “Cancer Antibody Atlas”. The aim is to identify new biomarkers and mechanisms that may ultimately contribute to improved prevention and treatment of cancer.
Contact
Professor Trine Hyrup Mogensen
Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases
Telephone: +45 20 12 52 80
Email: trine.mogensen@biomed.au.dk