Major grant from the Swedish Cancer Society
Uppsala University received a grant of SEK 143 million in total fron the Swedish Cancer Society. Foto Adobe Stock
The Swedish Cancer Society recently announced grants for cancer research, distributing a total of more than SEK 1 billion, of which SEK 143 million went to Uppsala University.
With that sum, Uppsala University received the third-largest amount among higher education institutions in this round, in which the Swedish Cancer Society also introduced a special initiative with extra-large grants for projects focusing on early detection. One such grant was awarded to the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy and to Ingrid Glimelius, Professor at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology.
“It felt incredibly positive, and my whole body was buzzing when I first received the news. It also feels like major recognition for Uppsala, U-CAN and the rigorous research and data collection carried out over many years. Several fantastic co-applicants were involved in the proposal. It feels like the beginning of an exciting collaboration,” she says of the award.
Ingrid Glimelius, Professor at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, received a grant of SEK 22 million for a project regarding early detection of secondary cancer. Foto Mikael Wallerstedt
Unique sample collection in Uppsala
Ingrid and her research group will receive no less than SEK 22 million for a four-year project. The project aims to identify new biomarkers that indicate the risk of developing a secondary cancer – that is, a cancer that develops as a consequence of the first but not as metastases.
“In essence, the project is a three-step process. The first step is to link information from U-CAN to our national registers to determine how common secondary cancers are. In the next step, using the samples collected after the first cancer diagnosis, we will try to identify entirely new biomarkers for early detection or risk of a second cancer. Since we have collected follow-up samples over many years, we have material taken months or even years before a subsequent cancer develops. It is a truly unique sample collection,” says Ingrid Glimelius.
“In the final step, we will conduct a screening study using both radiological examinations and blood sampling for individuals at increased risk of secondary cancer. Through this, we hope to detect secondary cancers earlier and thereby, ideally, offer treatment that can cure the second tumour as well.”
Helping more patients
The project therefore aims to identify markers that indicate a risk of secondary cancer, with the ultimate goal of completely preventing, or at least enabling earlier treatment of, the disease.
“In the short term, I want to understand how many people develop a second cancer across the various tumour types. In the somewhat longer term, I want us to discover entirely new biomarkers that can predict the risk of secondary cancer. I also want us to learn how to tailor follow-up to reduce the risk of secondary cancer. And of course, we hope to cure or alleviate the condition for more people affected by this tragic complication – developing a new cancer after the first,” concludes Ingrid Glimelius.
Robin Widing
This is U-CAN
U-CAN is a collaborative project managed by Uppsala University together with Umeå University, Stockholm University and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in close collaboration with the Swedish health care system: The Uppsala University Hospital in Uppsala, the University Hospital of Umeå and the hospitals in Gävle, Västerås, Karlstad, Falun and Eskilstuna.
In the project, a structured, longitudinal and prospective collection of data, biomolecules, tumour- and blood samples from cancer patients is conducted.
At the end of 2024, there were 29,207 individuals who had consented to inclusion in U-CAN at one of the participating hospitals in Uppsala, Umeå, Falun, Karlstad, Gävle or Västerås.