New research findings from IGP in 2017

Pathological changes in lung function often afflict women harder than men but the mechanisms behind this apparent sex-linkage remain unclear. A new study from IGP reveals a sex-specific correlation between the gene Pald1 and lung function in mice.

The risk for developing obesity is influenced by our lifestyle as well as our genes. In a new study from IGP, researchers show that our genetic risk for obesity is not static, but is influenced by our lifestyle. Results from the study have been published in the scientific journal PLOS Genetics.

The effect of breastfeeding on the risk of developing asthma and allergy has been debated for a long time. In a recent study, IGP researchers show that breastfeeding might in fact increase the risk of developing hay fever and eczema, while not having any clear effect on the risk of asthma. The results have been published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

By blocking of an enzyme that affects the cellular microenvironment it is possible to stop brain tumour cells from growing. This is shown in a new study by Karin Forsberg Nilsson’s research group at IGP, in collaboration with researchers in Haifa, Israel and Brisbane, Australia.

An extensive exercise to map genetic variation in Sweden has found 33 million genetic variants, 10 million of which were previously unknown. Large-scale DNA sequencing methods were used to analyse the whole genome of 1,000 individuals from different parts of the country. The study was led by researchers at IGP, who have published their findings in the European Journal of Human Genetics.

A new pathology atlas has been launched and made available for researchers around the world. It maps cancer related genes and opens up a new route towards personalised cancer treatment.

In later years it has become increasingly evident that immune cells are very important for the growth and metastasis of tumours. Elena Chugunova and her co-workers at IGP have studied immune cells called mast cells and discovered that substances from these cells can reduce the growth of brain tumour cells. The researchers also investigated the mechanism behind this growth regulation, findings that could be used to develop a new therapy for brain tumour patients.

Small vesicles, called exosomes, are secreted from cells and may serve as biomarkers for disease. Researchers at IGP have used a very sensitive analysis method to determine the tissue origins of exosomes. The analysis can form the basis of assays where exosomes are used clinically to diagnose disease in different organs, and to evaluate progression and outcome.

One third of all approved drugs act on the same kind of important cell receptor – the G protein-coupled receptor, or GPCR. A new comprehensive analysis of such GPCR-targeting drugs indicates a trend that these types of drug target a larger number or receptors and reveals a rapid development for diseases such as Alzheimer disease, obesity, asthma and diabetes. The study was recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.

Researchers at IGP have identified gene mutations that are associated with the spread of metastases in colorectal cancer. The findings that have recently been published in the journal Cancer Research could be used to identify patients that would benefit most from further therapy, after having surgery, and that require close monitoring to detect disease recurrence.

Glioblastoma is the most common form of primary brain tumour in adults. Patients with glioblastoma have very poor prognosis since there are no effective therapies. In a new study researchers at IGP describe a correlation between the cell type from which the tumour originates and the growth and drug sensitivity of the tumour. More knowledge about the mechanisms behind this correlation could be important for developing more effective drugs against subgroups of glioblastoma.

The tumour form multiple myeloma is very challenging to treat and is still considered as incurable. In a recently published study in the scientific journal Oncotarget, researchers at IGP show how inhibition of the protein BMI-1 could be used as a new strategy to treat the disease.

Epigenetic changes are chemical modifications that turn our genes off or on. In a new study from IGP, researchers show that tea consumption in women leads to epigenetic changes in genes that are known to interact with cancer and estrogen metabolism. The results are published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

The tumour form multiple myeloma is today incurable and due to lack of knowledge about which genetic alterations cause the disease it has been challenging to improve therapy. In a recent study, researchers from IGP show how the protein EZH2 affects the development of multiple myeloma, and that inhibition of EZH2 could be used as a new strategy to treat the disease.

Several factors affect the growth of tumours and cancer progression, for instance cells and substances that are present around the actual tumour cells in a tumour. In a recent study led by Elena Chugunova at IGP the researchers show that increased expression of the protein serglycin is associated with progression of the severe brain tumour form glioma and that it could be used as a biomarker for disease prognosis.

Cancer patients with metastases in the brain have very poor prognosis. A recent study from IGP shows that mast cells, a type of immune cell, are present in brain metastases and that they produce mediators that favour development of the metastases. The results show that mast cells could serve as a new target for drug development against metastases in the brain.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most severe cancer types and the survival is only around one year, even if it is diagnosed at an early stage and despite surgery and chemotherapy. In a recent study from IGP the researchers have shown that a new type of immunostimulatory virus can kill cancer cells, stimulate immune cells and shape the tumour microenvironment. Clinical studies are on-going where the effect of the virus is tested patients with pancreatic cancer.

In rheumatoid arthritis, antibodies are formed that affect the inflammation in the joints. In an article published today in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers at IGP show that antibodies against the cartilage protein collagen II are associated with a good prognosis. Analysing these antibodies, in combination with other relevant antibodies, could be used for predicting prognosis and choosing therapy for rheumatoid arthritis patients.

A new method to treat cancer is to use oncolytic viruses that infect the tumour cells and multiply inside them until they burst. In a recent study from IGP, Di Yu and his co-workers have genetically engineered an oncolytic virus to increase its killing capacity. This is an important step in the development of oncolytic virus for treatment of severe brain tumours.