The Functional Genomics Group at MDL

Vision
The aim of the Functional Genomics group is to identify new cancer-related pathways and cellular networks and to get insights in the molecular mechanisms triggering the development and progression of cancer. Our vision is a functional characterization of potential new diagnostic or prognostic markers or potential therapy targets and the survey of their potential usability in clinics.

Current Research Activities
Extensive microarray expression analyses on colorectal cancer and bladder cancer using Affymetrix GeneChips had identified several new cancer associated genes. Differential expression from normal tissue to cancer tissue had been validated by RealTime PCR analysis.

Custom antisera were synthesized against peptides of selected proteins. Tumor cell specific expression was detected on microsections of cancer tissues from colon and bladder. Genes were cloned and proteins were overexpressed in mammalian cells. Western Blotting compared the recombinant protein to the wild-type protein expressed in normal tissue or cancer tissue.

Fluorescence microscopy or confocal lasermicroscopy visualized the cellular localization of the recombinant proteins with living cells. Small interference RNA (siRNA) was used to knockdown genes of interest in cell lines. Microarray analyses of overexpressed or silenced genes of interest resulted in outlining of potential pathways and potential downstream target genes.

Future Research Activities
Future studies will focus on a functional characterization of previously identified molecules. This comprehends the studies named above as well as the analysis of phenotypic changes of cells as invasion, adhesion, proliferation or apoptosis after overexpression or silencing. Once potential downstream target genes have been identified, their expression in solid cancers in vivo can easily be confirmed by using the expression microarray data derived from analysis of from hundreds of colon- and bladder cancers and obtained within the last five years in the MDL.

Group Members
Karin Birkenkamp-Demtröder, PhD, group leader
Thomas Thykjær Andersen, MSc, PhD
Francisco Mansilla, MSc, PhD
Sanne K. Harder Olesen, MSc, PhD student
Birgitte Braüner, graduate student
Jette Jensen, med. technologist
Susanne Bruun, med. technologist