Toril Holien
About
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)
Publications
2024
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Christensen, Eidi;
Foss, Olav A.;
Holien, Toril;
Juzenas, Petras;
Qian, Peng.
(2024)
Application of Photodynamic Therapy with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid to Extracorporeal Photopheresis in the Treatment of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: A First-in-Human Phase I/II Study.
Pharmaceutics
Academic article
2023
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Quist-Løkken, Ingrid;
Andersson-Rusch, Clara Leticia;
Kastnes, Martin Haugrud;
Kolos, Jürgen Markus;
Jatzlau, Jerome;
Hella, Hanne.
(2023)
FKBP12 is a major regulator of ALK2 activity in multiple myeloma cells.
Cell Communication and Signaling
Academic article
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Andersson-Rusch, Clara Leticia;
Liu, Bin;
Quist-Løkken, Ingrid;
Upton, Paul D.;
Olsen, Oddrun Elise;
Hella, Hanne.
(2023)
High concentrations of soluble endoglin can inhibit BMP9 signaling in non-endothelial cells.
Scientific Reports
Academic article
2022
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Giliberto, Mariaserena;
Miranda Santana, Leonardo;
Holien, Toril;
Misund, Kristine;
Nakken, Sigve;
Vodak, Daniel.
(2022)
Mutational analysis and protein profiling predict drug sensitivity in multiple myeloma cell lines.
Frontiers in Oncology
Academic article
2021
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Christensen, Eidi;
Foss, Olav A.;
Quist-Paulsen, Petter;
Staur, Ingrid;
Pettersen, Frode;
Holien, Toril.
(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
Academic article
-
Melvold, Katrine;
Giliberto, Mariaserena;
Karlsen, Linda;
Ayuda-Duran, Maria del Pilar;
Hanes, Robert;
Holien, Toril.
(2021)
Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL levels predict responsiveness to dual MEK/Bcl-2 inhibition in B-cell malignancies.
Molecular Oncology
Academic article
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Kolos, Jürgen M;
Pomplun, Sebastian;
Jung, Sascha;
Rieß, Benedikt;
Purder, Patrick L;
Voll, Andreas M.
(2021)
Picomolar FKBP inhibitors enabled by a single water-displacing methyl group in bicyclic [4.3.1] aza-amides.
Chemical Science
Academic article
2020
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Martinez-Hackert, Erik;
Sundan, Anders;
Holien, Toril.
(2020)
Receptor binding competition: A paradigm for regulating TGF-β family action.
Cytokine & growth factor reviews
Academic literature review
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Darvekar, Sagar;
Juzenas, Petras;
Oksvold, Morten Pedersen;
Kleinauskas, Andrius;
Holien, Toril;
Christensen, Eidi.
(2020)
Selective Killing of Activated T Cells by 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Mediated Photodynamic Effect: Potential Improvement of Extracorporeal Photopheresis.
Cancers
Academic article
-
Westhrin, Marita;
Holien, Toril;
Zahoor, Muhammad;
Moen, Siv Helen;
Buene, Glenn;
Størdal, Berit Fladvad.
(2020)
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 Gene Therapy in Mice Inhibits Myeloma Tumor Growth, But Has a Negative Impact on Bone.
JBMR Plus
Academic article
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Olsen, Oddrun Elise;
Hella, Hanne;
Elsaadi, Samah;
Jacobi, Carsten;
Martinez-Hackert, Erik;
Holien, Toril.
(2020)
Activins as Dual Specificity TGF-β Family Molecules: SMAD-Activation via Activin- and BMP-Type 1 Receptors.
Biomolecules
Academic article
-
Ianevski, Aleksandr;
Kulesskiy, Evgeny;
Krpina, Klara;
Lou, Guofeng;
Aman, Yahyah;
Bugai, Andrii.
(2020)
Chemical, Physical and Biological Triggers of Evolutionary Sonserved Bcl-xL-Mediated Apoptosis.
Cancers
Academic article
2019
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Neckmann, Ulrike;
Wolowczyk, Camilla;
Hall, Martina;
Almaas, Eivind;
Ren, Jiang;
Zhao, Sen.
(2019)
GREM1 is associated with metastasis and predicts poor prognosis in ER-negative breast cancer patients.
Cell Communication and Signaling
Academic article
2018
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Olsen, Oddrun Elise;
Sankar, Meenu;
Elsaadi, Samah;
Hella, Hanne;
Buene, Glenn;
Darvekar, Sagar.
(2018)
BMPR2 inhibits activin and BMP signaling via wild-type ALK2.
Journal of Cell Science
Academic article
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Våtsveen, Thea Kristin;
Myhre, Marit Renee;
Steen, Chloe Beate;
Wälchli, Sébastien;
Lingjærde, Ole Christian;
Bai, Baoyan.
(2018)
Artesunate shows potent anti-tumor activity in B-cell lymphoma.
Journal of Hematology & Oncology
Academic article
-
Holien, Toril;
Gederaas, Odrun Arna;
Darvekar, Sagar;
Christensen, Eidi;
Qian, Peng.
(2018)
Comparison Between 8-Methoxypsoralen and
5-Aminolevulinic Acid in Killing T Cells of Photopheresis
Patients Ex Vivo.
Lasers in Surgery and Medicine
Academic article
2017
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Tangen, Jon-Magnus;
Holien, Toril;
Mirlashari, Mohammad Reza;
Misund, Kristine;
Hetland, Geir.
(2017)
Cytotoxic Effect on Human Myeloma Cells and Leukemic Cells by the Agaricus blazei Murill Based Mushroom Extract, Andosan™.
BioMed Research International
Academic article
-
Rustad, Even Holth;
Coward, Eivind;
Skytøen, Emilie R;
Misund, Kristine;
Holien, Toril;
Standal, Therese.
(2017)
Monitoring multiple myeloma by quantification of recurrent mutations in serum.
Haematologica
Academic article
-
Olsen, Oddrun Elise;
Skjærvik, Anette;
Størdal, Berit Fladvad;
Sundan, Anders;
Holien, Toril.
(2017)
TGF-β contamination of purified recombinant GDF15.
PLOS ONE
Academic article
-
Olsen, Oddrun Elise;
Holien, Toril;
Sundan, Anders.
(2017)
The role of BMP receptor ALK2 in myeloma cells.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Doctoral dissertation
2016
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Baranowska, Katarzyna Anna;
Misund, Kristine;
Starheim, Kristian K.;
Holien, Toril;
Johansson, Ida;
Darvekar, Sagar.
(2016)
Hydroxychloroquine potentiates carfilzomib toxicity towards myeloma cells.
OncoTarget
Academic article
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Våtsveen, Thea Kristin;
Børset, Magne;
Dikic, Aida;
Tian, Erming;
Micci, Francesca;
Lid, Ana Barragan.
(2016)
VOLIN and KJON—Two novel hyperdiploid myeloma cell lines.
Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer
Academic article
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Starheim, Kristian Kobbenes;
Holien, Toril;
Misund, Kristine;
Johansson, Ida;
Baranowska, Katarzyna Anna;
Sponaas, Anne Marit.
(2016)
Intracellular glutathione determines bortezomib cytotoxicity in multiple myeloma cells.
Blood Cancer Journal
Academic article
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Abdollahi, Pegah;
Vandsemb, Esten Nymoen;
Hjort, Magnus Aassved;
Misund, Kristine;
Holien, Toril;
Sponaas, Anne-Marit.
(2016)
Src family kinases are regulated in multiple myeloma cells by phosphatase of regenerating liver-3.
Molecular Cancer Research
Academic article
2015
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Holien, Toril;
Misund, Kristine;
Olsen, Oddrun Elise;
Baranowska, Katarzyna Anna;
Buene, Glenn;
Børset, Magne.
(2015)
MYC amplifications in myeloma cell lines: Correlation with MYC-inhibitor efficacy.
OncoTarget
Academic article
-
Jung, Kwan-Young;
Wang, Huabo;
Teriete, Peter;
Yap, Jeremy L;
Chen, Lijia;
Lanning, Maryanna E.
(2015)
Perturbation of the c-Myc-Max Protein-Protein Interaction via Synthetic α-Helix Mimetics.
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Academic article
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Sponaas, Anne-Marit;
Moen, Siv Helen;
Liabakk, Nina-Beate;
Feyzi, Emadoldin;
Holien, Toril;
Kvam, Solveig.
(2015)
The proportion of CD16+CD14dim monocytes increases with tumor cell load in bone marrow of patients with multiple myeloma.
Immunity,Inflammation and Disease
Academic article
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Olsen, Oddrun Elise;
Wader, Karin Fahl;
Hella, Hanne;
Mylin, Anne K.;
Turesson, Ingemar;
Nesthus, Ingerid.
(2015)
Activin A inhibits BMP-signaling by binding ACVR2A and ACVR2B.
Cell Communication and Signaling
Academic article
-
Wang, Huabo;
Teriete, Peter;
Hu, Angela;
Raveendra-Panickar, Dhanya;
Pendelton, Kelsey;
Lazo, John S.
(2015)
Direct inhibition of c-Myc-Max heterodimers by celastrol and celastrol-inspired triterpenoids.
OncoTarget
Academic article
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Misund, Kristine;
Baranowska, Katarzyna Anna;
Holien, Toril;
Starheim, Kristian K.;
Johansson, Ida;
Buene, Glenn.
(2015)
Chloroquine potentiates Carfilzomib but not Bortezomib effects on myeloma cells.
Cancer Research
Abstract
- Westhrin, Marita; Moen, Siv Helen;