CCBIO Seminar – Janine Erler

Foreleser: Janine Erler, Erler Lab, Biotechnology Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Universitetet i København, Danmark
Tittel: Targeting the metastatic niche
Vert: Lars A. Akslen
Sted: Auditorium 4, BB-bygget, Bergen
Når: 28. november 2024 kl. 14.30-15.30

Påmelding er ikke nødvendig. 

Abstract: "Metastasis is responsible for over 90% of cancer patient deaths, and is a process strongly regulated by the extracellular matrix (ECM). Studies have shown that the ECM can promote or restrict cancer progression, and that targeting cell-ECM interactions at the primary tumour can disrupt tumour growth and invasion as well as improve drug response.  We developed a method called In Situ Decellularisation of Tissues (ISDoT) to isolate structurally intact 3D ECM organ scaffolds from healthy and tumour-bearing tissue. This has enabled us to study the metastatic niche in great detail, and map ECM proteins to the metastatic niche for further characterisation. We have used the information gained to target cell-ECM interactions at the metastatic niche, which has disrupted metastatic growth in each instance. We then developed the ISDoT method to use the ECM scaffolds as a bioreactor to culture cells, and have been able to model metastatic colonisation and outgrowth.  Our studies show that interfering with cell-ECM interactions can indeed prevent metastatic growth. We aim to translate these findings into the clinic to benefit cancer patients.In addition, we run a precision medicine program for patients with metastatic cancer to provide optimal treatment to patients."

Om Janine Erler:

"Janine Erler is a Professor and Group Leader at BRIC, University of Copenhagen, and CEO of NEUmiRNA Therapeutics. She graduated as BSc with Honours in Molecular Genetics in Biotechnology from the University of Sussex (UK) in 2000 and was awarded a PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from the University of Manchester (UK) in 2003 for her research on hypoxia-regulated resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy. Between 2004 and 2008, Janine was a postdoctoral training fellow at Stanford University (USA), where she started working on hypoxia-regulated metastasis. She then started her own independent research group in 2008 at the Institute of Cancer Research in London (UK). Janine moved her lab to BRIC (University of Copenhagen, DK) in 2012 and became a tenured full Professor in 2016. She has received numerous awards for her research, and has filed two patents and started two companies. Her research is focused on how the tumour microenvironment drives metastasis. In particular, Janine has pioneered research into extracellular matrix remodelling during cancer progression. 

In 2022, Janine took on the role of CEO of NEUmiRNA Therapeutics, a startup developing disease-modifying RNA therapies for neurological disorders. Since then, she has secured €2M in investment and €3M in soft funding including a prestigious Michael J Fox Foundation grant and a Eurostars consortium grant. Janine signed a Term Sheet in July with 3 leading European investors for a Series A round of €30M.

Janine’s focus, both at BRIC and at NEUmiRNA, is on interdisciplinary translational research."