Menno Oudhoff, researcher at CEMIR, received 6,5 million kroner from the Norwegian Cancer Society today. He was one of 34 recipients in the country, which in total received 180 million.
Anne Lise Ryel, Secretary-General in the Society, highlighted the research on big patient groups like gastrointestinal cancers. – This can really make a difference, colorectal cancer are among the cancer types that affects the most people. The chosen projects is top class, also in international standards, and they will contribute to prevention and treatment. As a result even more people can live longer and better with cancer.
From the Norwegian Cancer Society, Deputy Secretary General Ole Alexander Opdalshei and Menno Oudhoff
(Photo: Linda Skjærvik)
Gastrointestinal cancers
– Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed, and 1 in 22 people will get it at some point in their lives, says Oudhoff. – It currently accounts for approximately 8% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide. Fortunately, the mortality rate for these type of cancers has been dropping for several decades. However, this is primarily attributed to better and more frequent screening rather than new therapeutics.
– The project awarded will study intestinal tumor initiation and development. Specifically, we will study the interplay between two major regulators of intestinal cancers called the Hippo and the Wnt pathways. Previous work has identified a new regulatory mechanism of these two pathways, and this proposal is aimed to strengthen the basic knowledge about this regulatory mechanism. Furthermore, we will attempt to target this mechanism to test if it has potential for drug development.