The Colorectal Cancer Group at MDL

About Colon Cancer
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world.
Every year, around one million people develop colorectal cancer worldwide.

During the last decades a large body of basic knowledge about the disease has been generated.
However, this has not sufficiently been translated to the clinical setting. The outcome of the disease has only improved modestly and the five-year survival is still typically about 50%.

The colorectal cancer group is focused at translating the ever increasing amount of basic scientific

From top left: Kasper Thorsen, Troels Schepler, Mogens Kruhøffer, Friedrik P. Wikman, Claus L. Andersen, Lisbet Kjeldsen, Lise-Lotte Christensen, Gitte Stougaard and Bente Devantie

knowledge into clinical practice.

In the field of basic research we are working to identify genetic variations, which could cause increased susceptibility to the development of colorectal cancer.

We are also working to unravel the cellular networks and molecular mechanisms which get dysregulated during the transformation from normal epithelium to cancer.

Our research aims

Identification of molecular signatures capable of predicting clinically relevant endpoints like recurrence of disease and response to treatment

Identification of genetic variations predisposing to colorectal cancer

Identifying primary driver genes and targets of genetic alterations in colorectal cancer in order to pinpoint candidate causative targets for novel therapies

To increase the basic scientific knowledge of colorectal cancer

The Colorectal Cancer Tissue Bank

The Colorectal Cancer Tissue Bank is located at the MDL and is maintained in a collaborative effort by the Colorectal Cancer Group and the Surgical Department P, THG, Aarhus University Hospital.

The bank was established in 1999 in order to facilitate the translation of laboratory research into clinical practise.

At the Department of Surgery dedicated nurses and technicians are responsible for the collection of blood, normal colon mucosa, adenoma, and adenocarcinoma tissues.
All patients included have received oral and written information about the tissue bank and have given written consent.

Currently the bank holds biologically and clinically well-defined tissue, carefully isolated RNA, DNA and protein extracts, and associated clinical and pathological data from more than 800 patients. Roughly 200 new patients are added to the bank each year.

The tissue bank has been approved by the Danish Scientific Ethical Committee and the Danish Data Protection Agency.

The members of the colorectal cancer group

Claus L. Andersen, Phd, MSc, Group leader
Friedrik P. Wikman, Phd, MSc, Chemist
Lise-Lotte Christensen, Phd, MSc, Senior Scientist
Kasper Thorsen, Phd, MSc, Post Doc
Mette Gaustadnes, PhD, MSc
Troels Schepler, PhD student
Bodil Øster, PhD, MSc
Mads Heilskov Rasmussen, PhD, MSc
Steffen Grann Jensen, PhD student
Anja Holm, graduate student
Heidi Tobiasen, graduate student
Christoffer Mørk Sørensen, medical student
Kristian Qvist Hansen, medical student
Ingelis Thorsen, med. technologist
Bente Devantie, med. technologist
Pamela Celis, med. technologist
Anita Roest, med. technologist
Gitte Stougaard, med. technologist