Lymphoma biology and pathology
Together with Department of Cancer Immunology OUH - Dept. of Cancer Immunology (ous-research.no), and Department of Pathology OUH - Department of Pathology (ous-research.no) we have performed high quality translational lymphoma research for several years, focusing on:
- Phenotypic studies of B-cell lymphomas
- Regulation of cell cycle activation and progression in normal and neoplastic B-lymphocytes
- Functional studies on hematopoietic stem cell and early B-cell differentiation
- Molecular studies on B-cell lymphomas
- Basic biological studies of lymphoid cells
- Lymphoma pathology: new entities
- Tumor immunology, searching for tumor antigens as targets for vaccine strategies
- Studies of interactions between tumor cells and tumor microenvironment in lymphomas
Phenotypic and functional studies of normal and neoplastic B-lymphoid cells
Already from the late 1970ies, lymphoma tissue has been snap frozen and kept in a lymphoma tumor bank for diagnostic and research purposes. In addition, lymphoma cell suspensions were made from the same period and kept in liquid nitrogen, being the basis for lymphoma biology. These materials have been part of large-scale genetic analyses and helped identify novel pathways involved in lymphomagenesis, discern distinct subgroups of lymphomas based on a biological understanding of their pathogenesis expression profile.
Hematopoietic stem cell and B-lymphopoietic studies
One of the main research interests for the Dept. of Cancer Immunology has been hematopoietic stem cell and early B-cell lymphopoiesis.In vitro purging with immunomagnetic beads (Dynabeads) was first described at by Drs Erlend Smeland, Steinar Funderud and Gunnar Kvalheim. The method has been the basis for characterization of various highly purified progenitor cells subgroups. Specifically, the effects of various cytokines and interleukins on proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis have been studied in detail.In the late 1980ies the purging methodology using immunomagnetic beads was scaled up and tested clinically in the setting of high dose therapy; the autologous grafts were purged, removing lymphoma cells efficiently before stem cell re-infusion (see also high dose therapy with autologous stem cell transfer).
Molecular studies
In the past two decades, there have been major advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis and biology of lymphoid malignancies. Modern molecular tools serve not only as a diagnostic aid, but also help unravel relevant mechanisms of lymphoma biology. With the development of DNA-microarray technology for large-scale gene expression profiling, high-throughput sequencing of both targeted or whole exomes and whole genomes at different levels of sensitivity and other tools of molecular genetics, it is now possible to obtain a comprehensive genome-wide picture of gene structure and expression alterations associated with normal or disease processes. Recognizing the potential of these technologies when used in well-annotated tumor biobanks and clinical databases the Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project (LLMPP) was created with a consortium of 8 institutions world-wide, including the OUH, devoted to the study of lymphoid malignancies Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project (LLMPP) (nih.gov). The LLMPP has resulted in numerous important landmark publications related to lymphoma biology.
Tumor immunology
We enjoy a longstanding partnership with the Department of Cancer Immunology OUH - Dept. of Cancer Immunology (ous-research.no) in studies on tumor microenvironment and its contributions to lymphoma growth. Also, the search for tumor antigens as targets for vaccine strategies or T-cell therapies and effects of vaccines against Covid have been of interest.
Lymphoma pathology research
We are collaborating with the Department of Pathology OUH in many translational and clinical research projects, both industry and investigator-initiated studies.
Currently planned projects include:
ctDNA for early response assessment in PCNSL treated with 1st line curative intent (NLG-PCNSL-01) – A Nordic Lymphoma Group Trial