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
-
Behsen, Alenka Djarmila;
Holien, Toril;
Micci, Francesca;
Rye, Morten Beck;
Rasmussen, Jenny Malm;
Andersen, Kristin.
(2024)
Cell surface marker heterogeneity in human myeloma cell lines for modeling of disease and therapy.
Scientific Reports
Academic article
-
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
-
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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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
-
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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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
2020
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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
-
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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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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
2017
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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
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Olsen, Oddrun Elise;
Skjærvik, Anette;
Størdal, Berit Fladvad;
Sundan, Anders;
Holien, Toril.
(2017)
TGF-β contamination of purified recombinant GDF15.
PLOS ONE
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
-
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
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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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
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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
2015
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Westhrin, Marita;
Moen, Siv Helen;
Holien, Toril;
Mylin, Anne K.;
Heickendorff, Lene;
Olsen, Oddrun Elise.
(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
Letter to the editor
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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
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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
- 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.