Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Laboratory

Combining translational, epidemiological and clinical research to develop individually tailored supportive care and CLL specific treatment.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in Western countries. The clinical course of CLL is highly heterogeneous. During the last decade, the treatment options for CLL has developed from single and combination chemotherapy to immune-chemotherapy and targeted agents, thereby significantly improving the outcome for patients. A more comprehensive approach to immune complications, treatment outcome, and disease outcome among patients with CLL is warranted.

By capture of paraclinical, clinical and demographic data along with genetic and functional characterization of primary CLL cells in our laboratory, we assemble multidimensional data on patients with CLL through the PERSIMUNE platform. With this unique three-pronged setup (translational research, clinical trials and registry based "real world evidence"), we explore patterns predictive of treatment outcome, infectious complications and disease outcome upon specific treatment.

By development of machine learning based algorithms in collaboration with DTU Compute, we aim for individually tailored CLL specific treatment and supportive care in CLL. By developing investigator-initiated, inter-group studies in collaboration between the Nordic, Hovon and German CLL study groups, we assure assessment of novel combination treatments for CLL and form a basis for testing individually tailored treatment in future clinical trials

Key results

With the B-cell receptor pathway as the core, our group has been part of a paradigm shift for treatment of CLL with novel targeted therapies developed also for patients with the most dismal outcome due to TP53 aberrations.

With the parallel development of translational and experimental studies based on our own unique CLL biobank, CLL epidemiology studies based on the comprehensive Danish National CLL database, and CLL clinical inter-group trials, we have created a unique position for development of not only prognostic algorithms but also tailored novel treatment regimens, which can be prospectively validated via investigator-initiated clinical trials.

People

Carsten Utoft Niemann
MD, PhD, Principal Investigator, Head of CLL Laboratory, Chair of Nordic CLL Study Group

Mail: carsten.utoft.niemann@regionh.dk

See list of publications

Clinical scientists and staff

Caspar da Cunha-Bang, MD, PhD

See list of publications

Rudi Agius

See list of publications

Christian Brieghel, MD, PhD: Herlev Hospital

See list of publications

Emelie Hamotal Curovic Rotbain, MD

Casper Møller Frederiksen

Ph.D. candidates and Postdocs

Rebecka Svanberg, MD

Tereza Faitová

Noomi Vainer

Ernesto Gargiulo

Mehdi Parviz

Laboratory staff

Lone Bredo Pedersen, Scientific laboratory technician

Hanna Hassouneh

Hashim Hussein Elhussein

Collaborators

Finn Cilius Nielsen, Prof, MD, PhD

Center for Genomic Medicine, Righospitalet.

Jens Lundgren Prof, MD, PhD

PERSIMUNE, Department of Infection Medicine, Rigshospitalet.

Henrik Hjalgrim, MD, PhD, DMSc

SSI: Statens Serum Institut.

Matthew S. Davids, MD, PhD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MA, USA

Adrian Wiestner, MD, PhD

NHLBI: National Institutes of Health, MD, USA

Arnon P Kater, Prof, MD, PhD,

AMC: HOVON study group, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Michael Hallek, Prof, MD, PhD

University of Cologne, German CLL study group, Cologne, Germany

Ole Winther, Prof, MSc

DTU, DTU Compute, Cognitive Science.

Anders Österborg Prof, MD

Nordic CLL study group: http://www.nordic-cll.org/

Richard Rosenquist Brandell Prof, MD

Nordic CLL study group: http://www.nordic-cll.org/

Sigrid Skånland, PhD

Department of Cancer Immunology, Oslo University Hospital

Clinical Trials