The Hematology Center conducts research on various hematologic cancers. Researchers are trying both to find a cure and to understand the underlying cause of these diseases. Research today largely focuses on genetics.
Hematologic cancer is a generic term for several types of cancer, which together comprise the third largest cause of death from cancer, behind lung cancer and prostate cancer. The various types of hematologic cancer have different symptoms and require different treatments. The common denominator is that they all derive from the blood-forming organs: bone marrow and lymph nodes.
Research is progressing by leaps and bounds for certain patient groups. Since the cancer cells are in a liquid medium, they can easily be removed from the body for research purposes; in contrast, for example, lung cancer requires a piece of tissue from the lung. The end result is increasingly targeted treatments.
“Twenty years ago, chemotherapy was essentially the only treatment option. Today a variety of biological drugs are available that can target different groups of blood cancer. Examples of new drugs include targeted antibodies, small molecules and epigenetic drugs,” says Professor Eva Hellström Lindberg, MD, at the Hematology Center, Karolinska University Hospital.
The genome consists of a multitude of genes, but only some of them are “turned on” in each cell. This property is what allows different kinds of cells and organs to form in the body. |
Professor Eva Hellström Lindberg |
Different genes do different things when they are turned on, but they are not all turned on simultaneously. In simplified terms, epigenetics deals with which genes are turned on and off, and why, which is one of Professor Hellström Lindberg's areas of research.
“For example, in leukemia certain genes are turned off, even though they should not be. Today we are able to ‘turn on’ these genes through epigenetic treatment,” she says.
But it is important to know the exact genes involved, which may vary from person to person, in part depending on the type of leukemia and which genetic defects the person has.
Professor Hellström Lindberg’s research focuses on a disease called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS); she directs an internationally successful research group in this field. MDS is a group of diseases in which normal hematopoiesis (the formation of blood cellular components) is disrupted because the blood-forming stem cells are unable to produce mature blood cells. It often results in severe anemia and is associated with a risk of developing a form of leukemia.
“In some patients with MDS, iron is incorrectly positioned within in the blood cells. It gets stuck, never gets into the hemoglobin, and the cells die. We are now beginning to understand which genes are involved and are getting close to finding an answer as to why this happens,” says Professor Hellström Lindberg.
Many internationally successful research projects are underway at the Hematology Center, including research on other types of blood cancers such as acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, as well as stem cell therapy, cell therapy and infections.
| One area where significant forward strides have been made involves mesenchymal stromal cells, where Hematology Center researchers have pioneered new methods. Organ transplantation is associated with the risk that the body may reject the new organ. However, leukemia treatment does not involve organ transplantation; instead, patients receive a new immune system through bone marrow transplantation, which may result in rejection of the body by the new immune system. By culturing mesenchymal stromal cells and administering them to patients, doctors can reduce the risk of severe complications and increase the chance of survival. |
A cell |
“There are two problems associated with hematologic cancer. The disease may be difficult to treat and cure, and patients may die from or during treatment. That is why our research focuses both on understanding the causes of these diseases and on developing new treatments,” says Professor Hellström Lindberg.
Text: Susanne Bergqvist