We are happy to announce the addition of a new MSc student to our group. Please welcome BSc Pietro Giuriatti.

Pietro is a determined young researcher with a background in cell biology and biotechnology. In 2020 he achieved his BSc degree at University of Trento in Italy, where he is now doing a master’s in cancer biology. He is driven by the desire to understand and prevent the molecular mechanisms of metastasis in pancreatic cancer. In the Erler lab, Pietro will focus his efforts on uncovering the role of neutrophils in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and elucidating critical immune cells in tumor progression and metastasis. We are very excited to have him in the lab and we look forward to follow the project progress.

We are happy to announce the addition of a new scientist to our group. Please welcome Professor Emeritus Reidar Albrechtsen.

Reidar Albrechtsen (RAL) is a specialist in pathology and cytology since 1976 and has worked for several years as a clinical pathologist at the Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet. RAL received his medical doctorate (DMSC) in 1979 and since then he has been employed as an associate professor the University of Copenhagen. RAL has been researching for a number of years at the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation CA and at the NIH, Laboratory of Pathology, Bethesda, United States. Later RAL worked at the Department of Biomedical Sciences and BRIC as a lecturer and researcher, and since 2018 serving as professor emeritus at BRIC. RAL has extensive teaching experience in the field of pathology both at Rigshospitalet and since 1979 at the University of Copenhagen. RAL has lectured in the many disciplines of the subject both at pre- and postgraduate level, and he has been examinator and censor throughout many years. In addition, RA has acted as a supervisor and mentor for many students both in the laboratory and in the preparation of their thesis assignments. RAL has extensive research experience within the field of pathology and cell biology and has contributed with DNA sequencing, production of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and expression studies of several proteins including laminin, tetranectin, and ADAM12  – an activity that is still ongoing with publications in renowned international journals. 

The Danish Cancer Society (Kræftens Bekæmpelse) has awarded our group two postdoctoral fellowships: one to Edward Horton and one to Raphael Reuten. Both fellowships are due to start in spring 2019 and will last for 3 years. Edward’s project aims to analyse interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment to determine how metastatic cancer cells grow in some organs but not others. Raphael’s project aims to determine the role of laminin heterotrimers during tumor progression.

We are delighted to receive these fellowships and are grateful to Kræftens Bekæmpelse for their support. You can learn more about Kræftens Bekæmpelse at www.cancer.dk

We are happy to announce the addition of a new PhD student to our group. Please welcome MSc Maria Rafaeva.

Maria is an enthusiastic young researcher with a background in cell biology. In 2015 she completed her BSc studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia. Being driven by an interest in microscopy, she continued her studies with a Master’s degree in Biomedical Imaging at the University of Turku in Finland. There she joined the laboratory of Prof. Johanna Ivaska and worked on the role of cell metabolism in regulation of integrin receptor activity and cancer cell invasion.

In the Erler lab Maria will focus her efforts on uncovering the role of cancer cell-extracellular matrix interactions in metastasis, which in the future could lead to the identification of new solutions for cancer therapy. We are very excited to have her in the lab and we look forward to follow the project progress.

“Janine Erler is a researcher who can take on almost anything. She is a great talent, a skilled researcher, a popular lecturer, a much-used assessor for journals and foundations, a talented research leader and an expert communicator, who can see the commercial potential of her own research. With the 2017 Research Prize for Young Scientists we wish to recognise Janine’s vital scientific contributions and dedication to using her research to create value for society,” says Anne-Marie Engel, Director of Research at the Lundbeck Foundation.

Read more at Lundbeck or BRIC websites.

We are happy to announce the addition of a new postdoc to our group. Please welcome Dr. Pier Giorgio Amendola.

Pier is an Italian postdoctoral scientist with a solid background in molecular and cellular biology. Pier earned his Msc in Molecular Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, studying the role of the tumor suppressor p53 in cellular differentiation and cancer. During his PhD at BRIC, University of Copenhagen, Pier discovered a novel function for a histone modifier in DNA Damage Response, a pathway which is frequently compromised in several tumors. In the Erler lab, Pier is focusing his efforts on the development of new effective anti-metastatic therapies with the aim of improving current treatments, including the survival and well-being of human patients. We are very excited to have Pier in the lab and we look forward to follow the project progress.

We are happy to announce the addition of a new postdoctoral scientist to our group. Please welcome Dr. Tine Thurison Røndbjerg.

Tine is bringing in extensive expertise in translational cancer research, animal models and biomarker research. Tine completed her PhD at the Finsen Laboratory, University of Copenhagen in 2014, where after she moved to the US and continued her research in the lab of Dr. Charles Craik at University of California San Francisco. In the Erler lab, Tine is focusing her efforts on a collaborative clinical project, aiming at offering personalized treatment to metastatic cancer patients in Denmark. We are very exited to have her in the lab and we look forward to follow the project progress.

Erler Lab, May 2017 

Kræftens Bekæmpelse, the Danish Cancer Society, has awarded a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship to our newest member, Sebastian Rune Nielsen, to determine how the extracellular matrix regulates the function of tumour-associated macrophages in pancreatic cancer.

Patients with pancreatic cancer have the worst prognosis among all cancer patients, with only 7% of patients alive 5 years after their diagnosis. In 2030, pancreatic cancer is predicted to be the second most common cause of death among cancer patients. There is an urgent need to improve the therapeutic options for patients, as the survival rate has not improved in the last 10 years.

Already we know that the presence of tumour-associated macrophages in the pancreatic tumour correlates with decreased patient survival. In addition, the composition of extracellular matrix proteins, and the stiffness of tumour tissue, change as the tumour grows and the cancer progresses. The goal of this project is to determine how changes in the extracellular matrix, such as altered protein composition and increased tissue rigidity, regulate the function of tumour-associated macrophages in pancreatic cancer. The ultimate aim is to identify new tumour-promoting signalling pathways in tumour-associated macrophages that can be targeted therapeutically to block tumour progression in pancreatic cancer.

We are grateful to Kræftens Bekæmpelse for their support in this project. You can learn more about Kræftens Bekæmpelse by visiting their website: www.cancer.dk

By Erler Lab, April 2017

We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic student, with a strong interest in the tumour microenvironment.

Project
The student will research how the extracellular matrix is altered during cancer progression. The project will include novel therapeutic targeting strategies to disrupt metastasis.

Start: Preferably 1^st September 2017 or after agreement.

Duration: 3 years as a PhD

Qualifications
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic candidate with the following qualifications:

• A Master of Science in biology, biochemistry or similar
• Experience in cancer research
• Knowledge about the tumour microenvironment
• Knowledge about the extracellular matrix
• Excellent communication skills in English To be considered for the position as PhD fellow, it is a condition, that your Master of Science degree is considered to be equivalent to a Danish Master of Science (http://fivu.dk/en). For further information regarding the position, please contact Associate Professor Janine Erler on e-mail: janine.erler@bric.ku.dk

Application
Your application must be submitted electronically via BRIC’s website on http://www.bric.ku.dk/jobs/.

Raphael Reuten, March 2017

The German Society for Matrix Biology Young Investigator Award is selected every year during the society’s Annual Meeting. This year the meeting took place in Cologne and was organised by Gerhard Sengle, Julia Etich and others.

I was delighted to be nominated, together with two other outstanding scientists: Eva Brauchle, from the  Schenke-Layland lab, University of Tübingen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) and Zhiqi Sun, from the Fässler lab, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Matrinsried, Munich).

Eva Brauchle presented an interesting and promising diagnostic tool which uses spectroscopy to detect deficiencies of extracellular matrix proteins related with skin diseases while Zhiqi Sun presented the uncoupling role of the intracellular Kank protein family members of integrins, during force transduction.

I was excited to present parts of my PhD thesis, giving insight into the disruptive force of the secreted extracellular matrix protein netrin-4 on basement membranes (read more about my work), and was thrilled to be selected as the winner of the Young Investigator Award.

The Annual Meeting of the German Matrix Society brings the majority of german matrix experts together every year. Moreover, the Society aims to invite outstanding scientists working on extracellular matrix topics and problems. This year we had the chance to see the work of Vivek Malhotra, Barcelona, Spain who provided insight into Collagen secretion; Viola Vogel, Zurich, Switzerland who presented a peptide approach to sense matrix stiffness status within tissues, and Boris Hinz, Toronto, Canada who showed the memory ability of fibrotic matrix.

I would like to thank the whole organising team of the Meeting for some inspiring days.