Translational Cancer Medicine Program (CAN-PRO)

The Translational Cancer Medicine Program (CAN-PRO) aims to tackle this challenge by analysis of tumor heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment, screening and discovery of targeted cancer therapies, and use of artificial intelligence tools into more effective treatments.

CAN-PRO provides a platform for translational discovery that bridges the gap between the fundamental cancer research in the Academic Medical Center Helsinki and the early-stage clinical trials of the Helsinki University Hospital. In this platform, genomic, epidemiological and pathological analyses, analysis of patient-specific cancer organoids, mechanistic validation and drug efficacy studies will be integrated with data from the national databases, registries and biobanks. This enables the discovery and validation of the biomarker signatures that associate with the drug efficacy profiles of individual patients, paving the way for precision cancer treatments.

The team comprises the strong expertise of the basic and translational researchers from 12 research groups, supported by clinical pathologists. With this synergistic expertise, the use of cutting-edge technologies and the access to the wide collection of tumor samples and related research and clinical programs, the team aims to achieve the translational goals of CAN-PRO.

Sakari Vanharanta

Functional Cancer Genomics

Biomedicum Helsinki 1

Haartmaninkatu 8

PO Box 63

FI-00014 University of Helsinki

Tel. +358 504332200

sakari.vanharanta@helsinki.fi

• CancerBio Progress Report seminar series

• Lemmetyinen TT, Viitala EW, Wartiovaara L, Kaprio T, Hagström J, Haglund C, Katajisto P, Wang TC, Domènech-Moreno E, Ollila S. Fibroblast-derived EGF ligand neuregulin 1 induces fetal-like reprogramming of the intestinal epithelium without supporting tumorigenic growth. Dis Model Mech 16: dmm049692, 2023.
• Monzo H, Hyytiäinen M, Elbasani E, Kalander K, Wall J, Moyano-Galceran L, Tanjore- Ramanathan J, Jukonen J, Laakkonen P, Ristimäki A, Carlson JW, Lehti K, Salehi S, Puolakkainen P, Haglund C, Seppänen H, Leppä S*, Ojala PM*. Efficacy and safety of glycosphingolipid SSEA-4 targeting CAR-T cells in solid tumors. Mol Cancer Ther 2023 Jul 24: MCT-23-0008. Online ahead of print. * shared correspondence.
• Uçar MC, Hannezo E, Tiilikainen E, Liaqat I, Jakobsson E, Nurmi H, Vaahtomeri K. Self-organized and directed branching results in optimal coverage in developing dermal lymphatic networks. Nat Commun 14: 5878, 2023.
• Patel SA, Hirosue S, Rodrigues P, Vojtasova E, Richardson EK, Ge J, Syafruddin SE, Speed A, Papachristou EK, Baker D, Clarke D, Purvis S, Wesolowski L, Dyas A, Castillon L, Caraffini V, Bihary D, Yong C, Harrison DJ, Stewart GD, Machiela MJ, Purdue MP, Chanock SJ, Warren AY, Samarajiwa SA, Carroll JS, Vanharanta S. The renal lineage factor PAX8 controls oncogenic signalling in kidney cancer. Nature 606: 999-1006, 2022.
• Filppu P, Tanjore Ramanathan J, Granberg K, Gucciardo E, Haapasalo H, Lehti K, Le Joncour V, Laakkonen P. CD109 – GP130 interaction drives glioblastoma stem cell plasticity and chemoresistance through STAT3 activity. JCI Insight 6: e141486, 2021.
• Heino S, Fang S, Lähde M, Högström J, Nassiri S, Campbell A, Flanagan D, Raven A, Hodder M, Nasreddin N, Xue H-H, Delorenzi M, Leedham S, Petrova T, Sanson O, Alitalo K. Lef1 restricts ectopic crypt formation and tumor cellg growth in intestinal adenomas. Sci Adv 7: eabj0512, 2021.
• Lähde M, Heino S, Högström J, Kaijalainen S, Anisimov A, Flanagan D, Kallio P, Leppänen VM, Ristimäki A, Ritvos O, Wu K, Tammela T, Hodder M, Sansom OJ, Alitalo K. Expression of R-spondin1 in ApcMin/+ Mice Suppresses Growth of Intestinal Adenomas by Altering Wnt and Transforming Growth Factor Beta Signaling. Gastroenterology 160: 245-259, 2021.
• Munne PM, Martikainen L, Räty I, Bertula K, Nonappa, Ruuska J, Ala-Hongisto H, Peura A, Hollmann B, Euro L, Yavuz K, Patrikainen L, Salmela M, Pokki J, Kivento M, Väänänen J, Suomi T, Nevalaita L, Mutka M, Kovanen P, Leidenius M, Meretoja T, Hukkinen K, Monni O, Pouwels J, Sahu B, Mattson J, Joensuu H, Heikkilä P, Elo LL, Metcalfe C, Junttila MR, Ikkala O, Klefström J. Compressive stress-mediated p38 activation required for ERα + phenotype in breast cancer. Nat Commun 12: 6967, 2021.
• Vaahtomeri K, Moussion C, Hauschild R, Sixt M. Shape and Function of Interstitial Chemokine CCL21 Gradients Are Independent of Heparan Sulfates Produced by Lymphatic Endothelium. Front Immunol 12: 630002, 2021.
• Gramolelli S, Elbasani E, Tuohinto K, Nurminen V, Günther T, Kallinen RE, Kaijalainen SP, Diaz R, Grundhoff A, Haglund C, Ziegelbauer JM, Pellinen T, Bower M, Francois M, Ojala PM. Oncogenic Herpesvirus Engages Endothelial Transcription Factors SOX18 and PROX1 to Increase Viral Genome Copies and Virus Production. Cancer Res 80: 3116-3129, 2020.
• Haikala HM, Anttila JM, Marques E, Raatikainen T, Ilander M, Hakanen H, Ala-Hongisto H, Savelius M, Balboa D, Von Eyss B, Eskelinen V, Munne P, Nieminen AI, Otonkoski T, Schüler J, Laajala TD, Aittokallio T, Sihto H, Mattson J, Heikkilä P, Leidenius M, Joensuu H, Mustjoki S, Kovanen P, Eilers M, Leverson JD, Klefström J. Pharmacological reactivation of MYC-dependent apoptosis induces susceptibility to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Nat Commun 10: 620, 2019.
• Le Joncour V, Filppu P, Hyvönen M, Holopainen M, Turunen P, Sihto H, Burghardt I, Joensuu H, Tynninen O, Jääskeläinen J, Weller M, Lehti K, Käkelä R, Laakkonen P. Vulnerability of invasive glioblastoma cells to lysosomal membrane destabilization. EMBO Mol Med 11: e9034, 2019.
• Ollila S, Domènech-Moreno E, Laajanen K, Wong IP, Tripathi S, Pentinmikko N, Gao Y, Yan Y, Niemelä EH, Wang TC, Viollet B, Leone G, Katajisto P, Vaahtomeri K, Mäkelä TP. Stromal Lkb1 deficiency leads to gastrointestinal tumorigenesis involving the IL-11-JAK/STAT3 pathway. J Clin Invest 128: 402-414, 2018.
• Rodrigues P, Patel SA, Harewood L, Olan I, Vojtasova E, Syafruddin SE, Zaini MN, Richardson EK, Burge J, Warren AY, Stewart GD, Saeb-Parsy K, Samarajiwa SA, Vanharanta S. NF-kappaB-dependent lymphoid enhancer co-option promotes renal carcinoma metastasis. Cancer Discov 8: 850-865, 2018.