Brain Tumor Immunology & Therapy group
Developing a novel immunotherapy that can be tested in clinical trials for GBM patients in combination with standard treatment regimens to improve the quality of life and extend survival of GBM patients.
About the research group
The Brain Tumour Immunology & Therapy lab, led by Dr Martha Chekenya Enger, is one of 5 labs that are integral nodes of the larger, dynamic Translational Cancer and Vascular Research Unit based at the University of Bergen.
Our research is focused on elucidating the role of NG2, a chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan, and its gene (CSPG4) in the malignant progression of Glioblastoma. NG2/CSPG4 is expressed by several tissue specific progenitor cells during development and the expression is attenuated upon terminal differentiation. NG2 expression is recapitulated on proliferating cancer cells and on angiogenic vasculature in cancer and wound healing. We have demonstrated over the past decade that NG2 signalling mediates critical processes in malignant progression, such as cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, resistance to chemotherapy and and radiotherapy through multiple mechanisms. We recently showed that NG2 is an independent prognostic factor mediating shorter survival of GBM patients. We are currently developing an immunotherapy-based treatment targeting NG2 with monoclonal antibodies administered in combination with adoptively transferred natural killer cells.
The overall mission is to conduct translational research that may be transferred from the bench to the bedside in the form of new, targeted therapies for brain tumour patients. Our group is composed of a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, molecular biologists, physicists and neuropathologists. The department of biomedicine is strategically connected to the Haukeland University Hospital by numerous foot-bridges to facilitate dynamic interactions between the basic scientists and the clinicians. The University of Bergen has state-of-the-art animal breeding and husbandry facilities, imaging platforms including a high resolution 7 Tesla animal MRI machine.
Recent news
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Publications
2023
2021
2019
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People
Group manager
Dr Martha Chekenya Enger Group leader
Group members
Mohummad Aminur Rahman Guest Researcher, Senior Researcher
Students
Marianne Hjellvik Hannisdal PhD candidate
Marianne van Oostveen Erasmus student BSc., University of Utecht
Elias Hovdenes MSc Student, Department of Informatics, NT faculty, UiB
Alumni
Victoria Arnesen PhD Research Fellow, defended 2023
Mia Kristin Sandnes Nilsen MSc
Maria Tennefos Sørbø MSc
Susina Suntharalingam MSc
Andrea Gras Navarro PhD student, defended 2019
Heleen Haspels Erasmus student
Marzieh Bahador MSc
Agnete Engelsen PhD student, defended 2013
Mev Dominguez Valentin Postdoc
Mateusz Zelkowski Leonardo da Vinci Programme trainee
Aurelie Poli PhD student
Justyna Kmiecik PhD student
Shahin Sarowar MSc student
Sharanga Varathalingam Med. student
Kristin Berg Kringstad Master student
Contact
For more information, contact the group leder Martha Enger
- Phone number
- Office phone: +47 55 58 63 80
- Emails
- martha.enger@uib.no