CONTRIBUTION. 25 researchers at the University of Gothenburg, recognized for leading some of the most promising cancer research projects, have been granted a total of SEK 65.5 million from The Swedish Cancer Society.
One of them is Jonas Hugosson from the Institute of Clinical Sciences at the University of Gothenburg, researching early detection of prostate cancer. Screening a portion of the male population for prostate cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related death in men, has long been a goal. However, there are currently no sufficiently effective and safe screening methods. Yet, it is known that a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, checking for elevated PSA levels in the blood, is an indicator of prostate cancer.
Complementing the PSA Test
If a patient has an elevated PSA level, a tissue sample is taken to find any tumors. However, relying solely on a PSA test poses a challenge, as many men have elevated PSA levels without having prostate cancer that requires treatment. This leads to overdiagnosis, where men risk undergoing painful and risky tissue sampling and unnecessary treatment.
He is now receiving SEK 6.7 million from the Cancer Fund to investigate how magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, searching for a tumor, can complement the PSA test. The crucial question is whether it is safe to assume that no treatment is needed if the MR examination does not reveal any tumors—even if the patient has an elevated PSA level. In Hugosson’s study, 37,000 men will be invited to undergo a PSA test and MR examination. They will then be randomized into three groups, with tissue samples taken based on the results of the MR and PSA tests.
“We already know that MR is a good complement to PSA. But the question remains: there are tumors that we do not find with MR. Does that mean we will detect these tumors through repeated testing every other year, and are they still treatable, or will they be discovered too late? This is the next step in our research study that we now want to illuminate”, says Jonas Hugosson.
SEK 740 Million in Total
Thanks to generous donations from individuals and companies, The Swedish Cancer Society can annually allocate hundreds of millions of kronor to research. In this grant distribution, the largest of the year, a total of SEK 740 million is awarded for various research projects.
“I am incredibly pleased that we can distribute a total of SEK 740 million. This has been a year marked by many challenging global events that have affected entire communities and individuals. Nevertheless, people have continued to support Swedish cancer research, and it is thanks to their contributions that we can now support the most promising research projects, says Malin Sund, chair of the Cancer Fund’s research board.
BY: THE SWEDISH CANCER SOCIETY
FULL LIST LISTAN – THEY GOT GRANTS FROM THE SWEDISH CANCER SOCIETY
Davide Angeletti (biomedicin)
Features and specificity of melanoma-infiltrating B cells
2 400 000 kronor
Eva Aronsson (kliniska vetenskaper)
Molecular radionuclide therapy (MRNT) of neuroendocrine tumours and breast cancer: Novel treatment strategies, and knowledge on mechanisms behind and biomarkers for treatment response
3 500 000 kronor
Cecilia Bull (kliniska vetenskaper)
Inflammation as a Treatment Target in Chronic Pelvic Radiation Disease
2 400 000 kronor
Cevik Aras Hülya (odontologi)
Oral Healthcare Programme in Multiple Myeloma to Improve Oral Health and Quality of Life and Prevent Medicine-Related Osteonecrosis of The Jaw (Mronj)
2 400 000 kronor
Claes Gustafsson (biomedicin)
Mitochondrial Biogenesis as Target For Cancer Treatment
6 000 000 kronor
Hans Otto Markus Hansson (medicin)
Targeting myeloma
3 000 000 kronor
Khalil Helou (kliniska vetenskaper)
Clinical significance of the Lemur Tyrosine Kinase 3 as a potential target for ovarian cancer treatment
3 000 000 kronor
Jonas Hugosson (kliniska vetenskaper)
The ‘Göteborg-2 trial’; A prospective, randomized, population-based trial of prostate cancer screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA)testing followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the prostate
6 750 000 kronor
Malin Johansson (biomedicin)
The role of the mucus protein FCGBP in colitis and colorectal cancer development
2 400 000 kronor
Per Lindahl (medicin)
A CRISPR approach to develop pro-oxidant therapies in lung cancer
3 000 000 kronor
Sara Lindén (biomedicin)
Counteracting Helicobacter species infection by enhancing the gastric epithelial cell protection mechanisms in combination with immune stimulation
2 400 000 kronor
Beidong Liu (Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten)
Systematic profiling of aging-induced protein liquid-liquid phase separation condensates and characterizing their functional roles in aging and oncogenesis
2 400 000 kronor
Noora Neittaanmäki (biomedicin)
Artificial intelligence for improved skin cancer diagnostics in digital pathology
2 400 000 kronor
Martin Ott (biomedicin)
Structure and function of the prohibitin complex, an Achilles heel of cancer cells
2 400 000 kronor
Lars Palmqvist (biomedicin)
Molekylära mekanismer vid utveckling av akut myeloisk leukemi
3 000 000 kronor
Volkan Sayin (kliniska vetenskaper)
Targeting Glutamine metabolism as a strategy for overcoming radio resistance in KEAP1/NRF2 mutant cancer: A step towards personalized radiotherapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer
2 400 000 kronor
Giovanni Solinas (medicin)
Developing Optimal PI3K-targeted Cancer Therapies from a Better Understanding of the Insulin System
3 000 000 kronor
Ulf Axel Strömberg (medicin)
New methods for targeting and evaluating cancer prevention interventions for people living in neighbourhoods where the burden of cancer is high or the participation in organised screening is low
3 000 000 kronor
Karin Welén (kliniska vetenskaper)
Molecular characterization of metastatic prostate cancer – from metastatic mechanisms to clinical benefit
2 400 000 kronor
Karl Fredrik Wärnberg (kliniska vetenskaper)
Axillary lymph node identification before neoadjuvant chemotherapy using MagTrace, and Magseed, in clinically node negative and node positive patients: SENTINEO
2 400 000 kronor
Ulf Yrlid (biomedicin)
Patient stratification for preoperative therapy of rectal cancer by multiplex analyses of tumor-infiltrating immune cells
2 400 000 kronor
Changlian Zhu (neurovetenskap och fysiologi)
Exploring the Gut-Brain Axis as a Therapeutic Target for Radiation-Induced Cognitive Deficits in Juvenile Brain
1 000 000 kronor
