Cellular Metabolism – The Erik Norberg lab

Our research has a central focus on understanding how an altered metabolism contributes to tumor growth.

Metabolomics and Biochemical approaches

Our Main Projects

Molecular regulation mechanisms of cancer metabolism.

While signaling downstream of ongogenes and tumor suppressors are central regulators of metabolism, several new players are emerging. We aim to identify novel regulation mechanisms as for how the metabolic phenotype is shaped.

Regulation and maintenance of metabolic heterogeneity

The metabolic program of tumors are known display a large heterogeneity both within and across distinct tumor types. We try to understand how this heterogeneity occurs and is maintained. 

Pharmacological Approaches to Target Metabolic Circuits.

We perform small-molecule screenings to target metabolic regulation nodes identified in #1 and #2 with the ultimate goal to identify novel drug targets.

To study these questions we employ a translational approach starting from primary patient material paralleled by studies to elucidate the molecular mechanisms in cancer cells, normal cells and cancer mouse models, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel drug targets and prognostic markers.

News Erik Norberg lab

Publications

Selected publications

Selected Reviews/Editorials

Mutant p53 as a Regulator and Target of Autophagy.
Shi Y, Norberg E, Vakifahmetoglu-Norberg H
Front Oncol 2021 Feb 3;10:607149 

Resistant to Targeted Therapy - Aim for Metabolic Liabilities.
Queiroz AL, Vakifahmetoglu-Norberg H, Norberg E
Theranostics 2018 ;8(7):2061-2063

The role of mitochondria in metabolism and cell death.
Vakifahmetoglu-Norberg H, Ouchida AT, Norberg E
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2017 01;482(3):426-431
As of July/August 2017, this Review received enough citations to place it in the top 1% of the academic field of Biology & Biochemistry (Web of Science).

Changing appetites: the adaptive advantages of fuel choice.
Stanley IA, Ribeiro SM, Giménez-Cassina A, Norberg E, Danial NN
Trends Cell Biol. 2014 Feb;24(2):118-27

Members and contact

Group leader

All members of the group

Alumni

  • Andre L Queiroz, Cornell University, NYC, USA.
  • Yiwei Ai, MD, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
  • Alex Jaot, Horizon Discovery, Cambridge, UK.
  • Dawn E. Comstock, MD-Ph.D, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
  • Wirood Aldjezani, MSc. thesis, ’Lung Cancer Metabolism and its Integration in Responsiveness to Treatment ’.
  • Dominique Smith, MSc. thesis, ’Investigation of the Metabolism in Cancer Cells Harbouring Different p53 Mutations‘. University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.