Laszlo Szekely

Cancer is caused by changes in the cell's genome and its development depends on whether the cancer cells end up or are already in an environment that allows malignant growth. The tissue environment that is most optimal for cancer growth is similar to the environment in a healing wound, so cancer is often described as a wound that never heals. Despite their genetic changes, cancer cells can lose their capacity for uncontrolled growth and change their behavior if they end up in an environment that forces them to behave normally. We study interactions between cancer cells and normal cells that lead to growth arrest and altered behavior of the cancer cells. We have developed a new histological staining method (OFB) and have built a multi-color microscope (HexaScope) that automatically captures images and evaluates large-scale and detailed tumor tissue. With this new technology, we analyze tissue samples from patients and from animal models as well as digital mammography and tissue images from large databases. To study molecular mechanisms, we use a mixture of normal cells and tumor cells in two and three-dimensional cell cultures. Our goal is to map the effects of existing drugs and to identify new drugs that imitate or reinforce mechanisms that normal cells use to control tumor growth. In order to enable individualized treatment of patients, we also want to build a diagnostic system that can likewise analyze fresh tumor material directly from patients. The method should mimic our latest development SolidSense assay that automatically measures the effects of cytostatics on live tumor biopsies, but instead of measuring the amount of cell death, the new system would analyze markers for growth arrest. See also http://laszlo.mtc.ki.se/CF

Cancer is caused by changes in the cell's genome and its development depends on whether the cancer cells end up or are already in an environment that allows malignant growth. The tissue environment that is most optimal for cancer growth is similar to the environment in a healing wound, so cancer is often described as a wound that never heals. Despite their genetic changes, cancer cells can lose their capacity for uncontrolled growth and change their behavior if they end up in an environment that forces them to behave normally. We study interactions between cancer cells and normal cells that lead to growth arrest and altered behavior of the cancer cells. We have developed a new histological staining method (OFB) and have built a multi-color microscope (HexaScope) that automatically captures images and evaluates large-scale and detailed tumor tissue. With this new technology, we analyze tissue samples from patients and from animal models as well as digital mammography and tissue images from large databases. To study molecular mechanisms, we use a mixture of normal cells and tumor cells in two and three-dimensional cell cultures. Our goal is to map the effects of existing drugs and to identify new drugs that imitate or reinforce mechanisms that normal cells use to control tumor growth. In order to enable individualized treatment of patients, we also want to build a diagnostic system that can likewise analyze fresh tumor material directly from patients. The method should mimic our latest development SolidSense assay that automatically measures the effects of cytostatics on live tumor biopsies, but instead of measuring the amount of cell death, the new system would analyze markers for growth arrest. See also http://laszlo.mtc.ki.se/CF