Cancer and Medicine
The research group Cancer and Medicine is under formation. Two teams are so far established in the group: Translational Cancer Genomics and Cancer Pharmacoepidemiology
Translational Cancer Genomics
DNA repair pathway aberrations are an integral part of cancer development but they are absent in normal cells, and thus they constitute as an important therapeutically targetable feature of human cancer. Small molecules that specifically kill DNA repair deficient cells offer significant clinical benefit for, for example, ovarian cancer patients that are treated with PARP inhibitors (niraparib, olaparib). The success of such therapy, however, depends on the presence of specific DNA repair pathway aberrations in a given cancer case. Our group has developed several next-generation sequencing based methods to achieve this, with some of those reaching the clinical application stage (myChoice HRD assay).
We are also actively searching for agents that can provide PARP inhibitor-like therapeutic benefit in cancer cases with a different DNA repair pathway aberration. We recently developed a diagnostic method to identify nucleotide excision repair deficient cancer cases that will likely benefit from the experimental cancer therapy agent, irofulven. We plan to initiate clinical trials based on this agent in collaboration with the Rigshospitalet.
Cancer immunology has provided major breakthroughs in the treatment of advanced, metastatic cancer. However, we have only limited understanding of the mechanism of action of immunology based therapy and we do not understand why only certain patients respond. ln collaboration with Herlev Hospital (Center for Cancer lmmune Therapy) we are combining next generation sequencing based approaches with translational oncology research to improve the efficacy oi cancer immunotherapy.
Börcsök J, Diossy M, Sztupinszki Z, Prosz A, Tisza V, Spisak S, Rusz O, Stormoen DR, Pappot H, Csabai I, Brunak S, Mouw KW, Szallasi Z: Detection of Molecular Signatures of Homologous Recombination Deficiency in Bladder Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2021; online ahead of print
Diossy M, Sztupinszki Z, Krzystanek M, Borcsok J, Eklund AC, Csabai I, Pedersen AG, Szallasi Z: Strand Orientation Bias Detector to determine the probability of FFPE sequencing artifacts. Brief Bioinform 2021; online ahead of print
Börcsök J, Sztupinszki Z, Bekele R, Gao SP, Diossy M, Samant AS, Dillon KM, Tisza V, Spisák S, Rusz O, Csabai I, Pappot H, Frazier ZJ, Konieczkowski DJ, Liu D, Vasani N, Rodrigues JA, Solit DB, H Hoffman-Censits JH, Plimack ER, Rosenberg JE, Lazaro J-B, Taplin M-E, Iyer G, Brunak S, Lozsa R, Van Allen EM, Szüts D, Mouw KW, Szallasi Z: Identification of a Synthetic Lethal Relationship between Nucleotide Excision Repair Deficiency and Irofulven Sensitivity in Urothelial Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27(7):2011-2022
Sztupinszki Z, Diossy M, Krzystanek M, Borcsok J, Pomerantz MM, Tisza V, Spisak S, Rusz O, Csabai I, Freedman ML, Szallasi V: Detection of Molecular Signatures of Homologous Recombination Deficiency in Prostate Cancer with or without BRCA1/2 Mutations. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26(11):2673-2680
Poti A, Berta K, Xiao Y, Pipek O, Klus GT, Ried T, Csabai I, Wilcoxen K, Mikule K, Szallasi Z, Szuts D: Long-term treatment with the PARP inhibitor niraparib does not increase the mutation load in cell line models and tumour xenografts. Br J Cancer 2018;119(11):1392-1400
Team Leader: Zoltan Szallasi
ORCID: 0000-0001-5395-7509
TCG Staff
Key Funding
Novo Nordisk Foundation
Independent Research Fund Denmark
Velux Foundation
Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee
Treatment and Cancer
The team Treatment and Cancer uses high-quality Danish and Nordic registry data as basis for their research.
We use nationwide registry data to investigate safety, risks and benefits of drugs in relation to cancer and other outcomes. Current drug candidates include (among others) female hormones, antidiabetic drugs, aspirin and other NSAIDs, and drug exposure in early pregnancy.
Ongoing projects include safety studies of drug use in women and in children after drug exposure in pregnancy. We are also interested in potential carcinogenic effects of drug use, and possibilities of repurposing of drugs with potential anti-cancer effects, whether in cancer prevention or as beneficial effects on cancer prognosis.
Skriver C, Friis S, Knudsen LB, Catarig AM, Clark AJ, Dehlendorff C, Mørch LS: Potential preventive properties of GLP-1 receptor agonists against prostate cancer: a nationwide cohort study. Diabetologia 2023;66(11):2007-2016
Pourhadi N, Meaidi A, Friis S, Torp-Pedersen C, Mørch LS: Central nervous system tumours among users of vaginal oestradiol tablets: A nationwide population-based study. Eur J Neurol 2023;30(9):2811-2820
Meaidi A, Torp-Pedersen C, Lidegaard Ø, Mørch LS: Ectopic Pregnancy Risk in Users of Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine Systems With 52, 19.5, and 13.5 mg of Hormone. JAMA 2023;329(11):935-937
Mørch LS, Gamborg M, Hemmingsen CH, Skovlund CW, Kjær SK, Hargreave M: In Utero Exposure to Hormonal Contraception and Mortality in Offspring with and without Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study. Cancers 2023;15(12):3163
Mørch LS, Skovlund CW, Hannaford PC, Iversen L, Fielding S, Lidegaard Ø: Contemporary Hormonal Contraception and the Risk of Breast Cancer. N Engl J Med 2017;377(23):2228-2239
Team Leader: Lina Steinrud Mørch
PhD, Msc in Public Health, Lina Mørch, is leader for the ‘Cancer Pharmacoepidemiology group. Lina has taken a special interest in conducting large-scale pharmacoepidemiological studies by use of nationwide prescription and disease registers. Linas main interests are cancer-, reproductive- and pharmacoepidemiology, and she has focused particularly on the influence of postmenopausal hormone therapy and hormonal contraceptives on risk of various health outcomes; including cancer risk.
Lina has worked at Danish (National Institute of Health, Copenhagen University Hospital, and Danish Cancer Institute) and international research institutions (University of California Los Angeles and Medical School of Valencia) during her PhD and postdoc periods. These were followed by a position as Senior Researcher at the Copenhagen University Hospital. In 2017-19, Lina held a position at Novo Nordisk as Senior Epidemiologist working with non-interventional post marketing/Phase IV studies.
ORCID: 0000-0001-6506-2569
CPE Staff
Key Funding
Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee
Nordic Cancer Union (NCU)
Novo Nordisk A/S
Sundhedsdonationer