Toril Holien
Background and activities
Research focus: TGF-β family signaling in cancer
Our research is focused on understanding the role of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß family signaling pathways in multiple myeloma and other cancers. This includes ligands such as TGF-ß, activins, BMPs and GDFs. There is extensive redundancy in this family of ligands and receptors, and the effects of a given molecule will always depend on the context. Activation of the SMAD1/5 transcription factors by TGF-ß family ligands induces apoptosis in myeloma cells by downregulating the oncogene c-MYC. Potentiaion of SMAD1/5 activity represents therefore a possible treatment option for myeloma patients. We are also interested in the role of TGF-ß signaling in the context of the tumor microenvironment, particularly in relation to angiogenesis and dissemination.
We welcome students that want to study regulation of signaling in the TGF-ß family.
Our group, Fall 2020: Lu Bai (master student), Toril Holien (group leader, PhD), Ingrid Quist-Løkken (MSc, medical research student), Clara Andersson-Rusch (MSc, PhD candidate) and Megan Anne Vik (master student).
Medical Students' Research Programme: Ingrid Quist-Løkken
PhD student: Clara Andersson-Rusch
Master student: Bita Asghariastanehei
Post doctor (2020): Oddrun Elise Olsen
PhD (2017): Oddrun Elise Olsen
PhD (2020, Bjørkøy group, cosupervised): Camilla Wolowczyk
Molecular medicine (2020/21): Megan Anne Vik and Lu Bai
Biotechnology (2019/20, cosupervised): Jenny Malm Rasmussen
Pharmacy (2018/19): Martin Haugrud Kastnes, Nerissa Rae Booc
Pharmacy (2017/18): Thi Le, Fartun Hussein Ali
Molecular Medicine (2016/17): Samah Elsaadi, Fekadu Alemu Atire
Biotechnology (2013/15): Anette Skjærvik
Cell biology (2012/14): Kine Husteli Kristiansen
Biotechnology (2011/12): Oddrun Elise Olsen
Alexander Stockhammer (2018)
Marie-Thérèse Henke (2017)
Meenu Sankar (2015/16)
Sarah Nevens (2013/14)
Scientific, academic and artistic work
Displaying a selection of activities. See all publications in the database
Journal publications
- (2021) Application of photodynamic therapy with 5-aminolevulinic acid to extracorporeal photopheresis in the treatment of patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease: A first-in-human study. Pharmaceutics. vol. 13:1558 (10).
- (2021) Picomolar FKBP inhibitors enabled by a single water-displacing methyl group in bicyclic [4.3.1] aza-amides. Chemical Science.
- (2021) Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL levels predict responsiveness to dual MEK/Bcl-2 inhibition in B-cell malignancies. Molecular Oncology.
- (2020) Receptor binding competition: A paradigm for regulating TGF-β family action. Cytokine & growth factor reviews.
- (2020) Activins as Dual Specificity TGF-β Family Molecules: SMAD-Activation via Activin- and BMP-Type 1 Receptors. Biomolecules. vol. 10 (4).
- (2020) Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 Gene Therapy in Mice Inhibits Myeloma Tumor Growth, But Has a Negative Impact on Bone. JBMR Plus. vol. 4 (1).
- (2019) GREM1 is associated with metastasis and predicts poor prognosis in ER-negative breast cancer patients. Cell Communication and Signaling. vol. 17.
- (2018) BMPR2 inhibits activin and BMP signaling via wild-type ALK2. Journal of Cell Science. vol. 131 (11).
- (2017) TGF-β contamination of purified recombinant GDF15. PLOS ONE. vol. 12:e0187349 (11).
- (2016) VOLIN and KJON—Two novel hyperdiploid myeloma cell lines. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer. vol. 55 (11).
- (2015) Activin A inhibits BMP-signaling by binding ACVR2A and ACVR2B. Cell Communication and Signaling. vol. 13:27.
- (2015) Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) promotes osteoclast differentiation and inhibits osteoblast differentiation and high serum GDF15 levels are associated with multiple myeloma bone disease. Haematologica. vol. 100 (12).
- (2014) The role of bone morphogenetic proteins in myeloma cell survival. Cytokine & growth factor reviews. vol. 25 (3).
- (2014) Bone morphogenetic protein-9 suppresses growth of myeloma cells by signaling through ALK2 but is inhibited by endoglin. Blood Cancer Journal. vol. 4.
- (2012) Bone morphogenetic proteins induce apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells by Smad-dependent repression of MYC. Leukemia. vol. 26.
- (2012) Addiction to c-MYC in multiple myeloma. Blood. vol. 120 (12).
- (2010) CpG-Oligodeoxynucleotide Inhibits Smad-Dependent Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling: Effects on Myeloma Cell Apoptosis and In Vitro Osteoblastogenesis. Journal of Immunology. vol. 185 (6).