Anders Österborg's Group

Our group, which is lead by prof Anders Österborg and prof Håkan Mellstedt, has a tradition since the early 1980ies in developing targeted therapies for patients with B cell malignancies (chronic lymphocytic leukemia and B cell lymphomas).

Anders Österborg, adjungerad professor, överläkare, Institutionen för onkologi-patologi, Karolinska Institutet och Tema Cancer, PO Hematologi, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Solna
Anders Österborg, Adj Professor, chief physician, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and Department of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital Solna.

Our research

The aim is to develop and optimize precision therapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) to prolong survival, prevent multidrug resistance and reduce long-term toxicity. Our research is conducted in 5 separate areas (A-E), with senior team leaders for B-E.

Håkan Mellstedt professor, Institutionen för onkologi-patologi Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Solna

Research area A: multicenter clinical trials on new drugs in CLL

A clinical part of our research activity where we often are national PI within global phase 2 or 3 trials in CLL.  Examples of publications: Brown J et al N Engl J Med 2023, Hillmen P et al J Clin Oncol 2023, Tam C et al Lancet Oncol 2022. 

Portrait of Mohammad Hojjat Farsangi.
Mohammad Hojjat-Farsangi, PhD, senior researcher, lab manager, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Bioclinicum, Karolinska University Hospital Solna.

Research area B: Exploring new targets and developing new drugs.

Team leader Mohammad Hojjat-Farsangi, PhD, senior researcher.

We have a current focus on ROR1, an embryonic antigen expressed by many tumor types but abundant on most normal cells. Extensive characterization of ROR1 is performed and first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of ROR1 are developed in collaboration with Kancera AB (Solna Science Park). Another focus is TME (tumor microenvironment) and in particular nurse-like cells, that are inhibited in vitro by drug-mediated interference with the fractalkine axis. Examples of publications: Ghaderi A et al, EjHaem 2021, and Pharmaceutics 2022.

Marzia Palma, PhD, senior researcher, assistant chief physician, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and Tema Cancer, PO Hematologi, Karolinska University Hospital Solna
Marzia Palma, Associate Professor, chief physician, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and Department of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna.

Research area C: Immune regulation of B cell malignancies.

Team leader: Marzia Palma, MD, PhD, assoc. prof.

We perform in-depth analysis of immunoregulatory cell populations preferentially in patients with CLL and Hodgkin’s disease. An important part is monitoring of immune functions during targeted therapies such as BTK-inhibitors and Bcl-2 inhibitors in patients. Examples of publications: Palma M et al, Front Immunol 2021, Mulder T el al, HemaSphere 2021 and 2022, Andersson M et al, Eur J Haematol 2023.

Jeanette Lundin, Associate Professor, chief physician, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and Tema Cancer, PO Hematologi, Karolinska University Hospital Solna
Jeanette Lundin, Associate Professor, chief physician, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and and Dept of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna.

Research area D: Academic clinical trials using targeted precision therapeutics in B cell malignancies.

Team leader: Jeanette Lundin, MD, PhD, assoc. prof.

The aim is to develop optimized chemotherapy-free treatment regimens, including but not limited to BTK and Bcl-2 inhibitors. An important project is the ongoing ibrutinib “On-Off-Repeat” phase 2 study, with the aim to reduce the risk of acquired resistance (BTK-mutation) and long-term side effects. Another study explores pre-emptive therapy in early-stage high-risk CLL. Examples of publications: Lundin J et al EjHaem 2021, Ma S et al, Leuk Res 2022.

Lotta Hansson, Associate Professor, chief physician, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and Tema Cancer, PO Hematologi, Karolinska University Hospital Solna
Lotta Hansson, Associate Professor, chief physician, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and Dept of Hematology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital Solna.

Research area E: Real-world evidence studies on new precision therapies and anti-viral immunology in CLL.

Team leader: Lotta Hansson, MD, PhD, assoc.prof.

Here we aim to describe the true effects of new (high-cost) targeted therapeutics in a wider population of patients treated real-world i.e. outside clinical trials that often recruit selected patients. Real-world evidence (RWE) is of major importance for patients, health care professionals and society as a whole. We also study viral immunology, currently with a focus on SARS-CoV-2, in CLL including mRNA vaccination. Examples of recent publications: Bergman P et al eBioMedicine 2021, Blixt L et al Leukemia 2022 and Blood 2022, Matsson A et al, Eur J Haematol 2023 and Blood Neoplasia 2024.

Contact

Leila Relander, research coordinator
Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet
E-mail: leila.relander@regionstockholm.se, leila.relander@ki.se

Members and contact

Group leader

All members of the group