Smart algorithm finds possible future treatment for childhood cancer
2020-01-07
Using a computer algorithm, scientists at IGP have identified a promising new treatment for neuroblastoma. This form of cancer in children, which occurs in specialised nerve cells in the sympathetic nervous system, may be life-threatening. In the long term the discovery, described in the latest issue of the scientific journal Nature Communications, may result in a new form of treatment for children in whom the disease is severe or at an advanced stage.
The new treatment is based on activating a receptor protein, CNR2 (cannabinoid receptor 2), in the nervous system. A highly unusual method enabled this particular protein to be applied therapeutically. Instead of using traditional methods of drug development, the research group has developed a new computer algorithm capable of combining massive quantities of genetic and pharmacological data (‘big data’) from European and American hospitals and universities. The algorithm then suggested new treatments that could influence the basic mechanisms of the disease.
“We were astonished when the algorithm came up with completely new ideas for treatment, such as CNR2, that no one has ever discussed in this context. So we decided to investigate this further in the lab,” says Sven Nelander, who has led the study.
The new treatments were investigated using cell samples from patients and in animal models, where they proved efficacious. The cancer cells’ survival rate declined, for example, and tumour growth in zebrafish (Danio rerio) decreased, following treatment with a substance that stimulates CNR2.
The researchers have also developed the computer algorithm to enable it to be applied to other forms of cancer.
“Smart algorithms will be increasingly important in cancer research in the years ahead, since they can help us scientists to find unexpected angles. We’ve already started a major project here in Uppsala, in which several types of cancer in children and adults will be investigated this way. Our hope is that this can result in more unexpected treatment options,” Nelander says.
The study was carried out in collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institute, Lund University and Chalmers University of Technology
More information:
Article in Nature Communications
Sven Nelander’s research

in its nervous system. The researchers used this type of animal
model to evaluate new treatments. Credit: Elin Almstedt
-
Unmarried and less educated patients receive less extensive therapy
2021-03-15
Mantle cell lymphoma is a malignant tumour disease where intensive therapy can prolong survival. A new study from IGP and others shows that people with mantle cell lymphoma who were unmarried and had a lower education level were more seldom treated by stem cell transplantation, which can result in reduced survival. The results have been published in the journal Blood Advances.
-
Beta blockers can repair malformed blood vessels in the brain
2021-02-23
Propranolol, a drug that is efficacious against infantile haemangiomas (“strawberry naevi”, resembling birthmarks), can also be used to treat cerebral cavernous malformations, a condition characterised by misshapen blood vessels in the brain and elsewhere. This has been shown by IGP researchers in a new study published in the scientific journal Stroke.
-
Innate immune system aggravates severe COVID-19
2021-02-23
In critically ill COVID-19 patients, the innate immune system is strongly activated which can cause thrombosis and reduced oxygenation in the patients. This is shown in a study from IGP, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
-
Metabolic response behind reduced cancer cell growth
2021-02-12
Researchers from IGP show in a new study that inhibition of the protein EZH2 can reduce the growth of cancer cells in the blood cancer multiple myeloma. The reduction is caused by changes in the cancer cells’ metabolism. These changes can be used as markers to discriminate whether a patient would respond to treatment by EZH2 inhibition. The study has been published in the journal Cell Death & Disease.
-
Increased cancer risk in children of mothers with thyroid disorders
2021-01-21
Thyroid disorders in mothers-to-be increases the risk for future thyroid cancer in the children. This is shown in a new study in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology where IGP researcher Ingrid Glimelius has participated.
-
Disrupted immune cell navigation in lymph nodes of breast cancer patients
2021-01-12
Different types of breast cancer tumours differ in how they affect the function of the lymph nodes. In patients with invasive breast cancer, the vessels and supporting tissue of the lymph nodes are altered, which cannot be seen in patients with a non-invasive cancer called (ductal cancer in situ). This is shown in a new study from Maria Ulvmar’s group at IGP, published online in the scientific journal Cancers.
-
Oral contraceptive pills protect against ovarian and endometrial cancer
2020-12-17
A comprehensive study from Uppsala University, involving more than 250,000 women, shows that oral contraceptive use protects against ovarian and endometrial cancer. The protective effect remains for several decades after discontinuing the use. The study is published in the journal Cancer Research.
-
Vener bakom blodkärlsmissbildningar i hjärnan
2020-11-03
In the condition known as cavernoma, lesions arise in a cluster of blood vessels in the brain, spinal cord or retina. Researchers in Elisabetta Dejana's group at IGP can now show, at molecular level, that these changes originate in vein cells. This new knowledge of the condition creates potential for developing better therapies for patients. The study has been published in the journal eLife.
-
World’s largest ever DNA sequencing of Vikings
2020-09-16
Genetic examinations of more than 400 Viking age skeletons reveal that the Vikings that raided Europe came from relatively isolated groups in Scandinavia and many of them had a genetic influx from Asia or Southern Europe. This is presented in a study in the journal Nature, in which Marie Allen and Magdalena Bus from IGP have participated.
-
Internet-based support can reduce depressions symptoms in cancer patients
2020-09-14
The internet can be used to provide education and support for self-management interventions to alleviate depression symptoms in individuals with cancer. This is shown in a study from Birgitta Johansson’s group at IGP.
-
Leakage from blood and lymphatic vessels is differently regulated
2020-09-09
Researchers from IGP show in a new study that cell signalling regulating vessel leakage differs between blood and lymphatic vessels. The findings suggest a possibility to modulate this signalling in order to selectively control lymphatic vessel function and to treat diseases characterised by lymphatic vessel leakage.
-
New early biomarker for several cancer diseases
2020-08-26
In a study including more than 400 hospital patients with 18 different cancer diagnoses, researchers have been able to show that EVP, extracellular vesicles and particles, could be used as biomarkers for several cancer diseases. The study has been led by researchers from among others IGP.
-
New findings on enzymes with important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection
2020-08-17
Researchers at IGP have described the presence, throughout the human body, of the enzyme ACE2. This is thought to be the key protein used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus for host cell entry and development of the disease COVID-19. In contrast to previous studies, the study shows that no or very little ACE2 protein is present in the normal respiratory system. The results are presented in Molecular Systems Biology.
-
Unexpected associations found between drug response and cell changes in brain cancer
2020-07-15
Therapies for treating glioblastoma brain cancer can be delivered with greater precision and existing drugs can be used in new ways. These are the conclusions from a study from IGP investigating a large number of cell samples from patients with brain tumours. The researchers have characterised how changes in glioblastoma cells influence the effect of different drugs. Their findings are published in the journal Cell Reports.
-
New method to identify genes that can drive development of brain tumors
2020-06-09
Researchers at Uppsala University have developed a method for identifying functional mutations and how these affect genes with significance for the development of glioblastoma – a malignant brain tumor with very poor prognosis. The study is published in Genome Biology.
-
New effective way to inhibit lymphatic malformations
2020-06-08
Lymphatic malformation is a debilitating and often incurable disease. Taija Mäkinen’s research group has in an international collaboration studied cellular mechanisms leading to abnormal vessel growth and identified a combination therapy that may allow effective treatment of these malformations.
-
Lymphatic vessels in mice and humans: alike yet different
2020-05-04
In an international collaboration, researchers from IGP have mapped the lymph node lymphatic vessels in mice and humans down to the level of individual cells. The results may eventually help scientists to discover new methods for strengthening the immune system against viruses and cancer. Their work has been published in the journal Frontiers of Cardiovascular Research.
-
Scientists identify cause of leakiness in eye diseases
2020-04-22
Targeting a molecule that contributes to leaky eye vessels, while sparing nerve and blood-vessel cells, could be a safer treatment strategy for age and diabetes-related vision loss. Scientists at IGP have identified a key step in the process that leads to leaky vessels and harmful swelling in eye diseases, according to a new study published today in the journal eLife.
-
Changes in cellular degradation hubs can lead to cancer
2020-03-17
Cancer cells grow and divide in an uncontrolled manner. A new study from IGP now shows how alterations in a cell’s degradation hubs, called lysosomes, can cause abnormal cell growth. The results are published today in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
-
Careless cancer cells may be susceptible to future drugs
2020-03-12
Could the ability of cancer cells to quickly alter their genome be used as a weapon against malignant tumours? Researchers at IGP have succeeded in developing a substance that has demonstrated promising results in experiments on both animal models and human cancer cells. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.
-
Smart algorithm finds possible future treatment for childhood cancer
2020-01-07
Using a computer algorithm, scientists at IGP have identified a promising new treatment for neuroblastoma. This form of cancer in children, which occurs in specialised nerve cells in the sympathetic nervous system, may be life-threatening. In the long term the discovery, described in the latest issue of the scientific journal Nature Communications, may result in a new form of treatment for children in whom the disease is severe or at an advanced stage.