Expertises

Gynecology and obstetrics

Main research areas

Biomarkers in ovarian cancer

Current research

In our current research we are investigating if microRNAs (miRNAs) can be used as biomarkers for clinical characteristics and outcomes of ovarian cancer (OC).

Recent studies have shown that miRNAs play an important role in the regulation of human genes, cancer development and regulation, and may be potential biomarkers for cancer.

OC is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer mortality in the Western world, and Denmark has the second highest incidence of OC in the world with approximately 450 new cases annually. The poor prognosis is related to late diagnosis and development of resistance to chemotherapy. Therefore there is an unmet need for biomarkers that can predict the individual patient's response to chemotherapy.

The aim of our current research is therefore to identify miRNA profiles in OC tumor tissue from microarray analysis and retrospectively validate if predefined miRNA based predictors of reponse to chemotherapy can predict resistance to chemotherapy for OC patients. This could spare patients from in-effective, toxic agents and optimize treatment for each individual patient, hopefully resulting in an improved survival. We further investigate if miRNAs can be used for characterization of OC histologic sub-groups, tumor stages and macroradical surgery.

Potential conflicts of interest

No competing interests