In 2025, the Swedish Cancer Society will give more than SEK 1 billion to Swedish cancer research, the largest amount ever, according to their press release.
One of the projects receiving funding is led by Professor Henrik Green, professor at the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), who researches how genetic differences between patients can affect reactions to cancer treatment. The aim is to be able to predict which patients are at risk of severe side effects of chemotherapy, to achieve more accurate and gentle treatment.
“Everyone reacts differently to cancer treatment. Some people can manage chemotherapy without problems, while others suffer life-threatening side effects after the first course of treatment. The goal is to be able to adapt doses and treatment based on each individual’s genetic profile,” says Henrik Green.
Personalised treatment
Green’s research team will sequence patients’ DNA and use AI to build models that can identify which patients are most at risk of side effects. By combining genetic information with laboratory studies, they hope to create models to be used directly in health care. For this purpose, they now receive SEK 3 million from the Swedish Cancer Society.
“This project is a clear example of how research can make health care more individualised. Being able to predict which patients are at risk of severe side effects will ensure that more people get the right treatment from the start – with better results and quality of life,” says Professor Malin Sund, Chair of the Swedish Cancer Society’s Research Board.
SEK 12 million to BKV’s research
Other than Henrik Green, three researchers at the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences receive funding from the Swedish Cancer Society for their research projects:
- Judith Arvelund receives funding for the project Virus-based immunotherapy for the treatment of lymphomas – Characterizing tissue-specific resistance mechanisms.
- Anna Fahlgren, for the project The role of shear stress in promoting secondary metastases of bone-metastatic breast cancer to the lung and liver.
- Johanna Ungerstedt, for the project Indepth molecular characterization of genotype, phenotype and microenvironment in Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia to delineate disease onset mechanisms and the role of chronic inflammation.