Andreas Kj忙r
Development and clinical translation of pioneering radioligand therapy and phototheranostics for glioblastoma
Has received a Professorship grant of DKK 40,000,000 from the Lundbeck Foundation.
Glioblastomas are one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer. No significant therapeutic advances have been made in the past 20 years, and the average patient survives only about one year after diagnosis.
Andreas Kj忙r and his research group are developing several new treatments for glioblastomas. These include targeted radioligand therapy, in which a radioactive tracer is injected into a vein; it can both locate and destroy tumour cells through localized radiotherapy. The tracer targets uPAR 鈥 a receptor found on the surface of cancer cells in the vast majority of glioblastomas. With this treatment method, healthy tissue can largely be spared from radiation, and it becomes possible to detect small clusters of cancer cells outside the tumour that would otherwise be invisible on an MRI scan. It is also crucial that this therapy is developed to pass the blood鈥揵rain barrier so that all tumour tissue can be treated.
In addition, the researchers are developing methods for optical-guided surgery combined with glioblastoma treatment 鈥 known as phototheranostics. By injecting a fluorescent substance into the patient, tumour cells can be made to light up during surgery, allowing the surgeon to be guided by the images. If tumour cells remain after surgery, a low-energy laser treatment can be applied in the operating room to selectively heat and eliminate the remaining cells.
Over the six-year project period, the researchers aim to advance the work to the point where they can test the new treatments on the first patients with glioblastomas.
鈥淲e hope that with these new methods we will be able to revolutionize the treatment of glioblastomas and ensure better survival and quality of life for patients. The principles behind these treatment approaches may in the future have the potential to be used for all solid tumours,鈥 says Andreas Kj忙r, professor at the University of Copenhagen and chief physician at Rigshospitalet.
Read more about the granting of this year鈥檚 professorships below:
The Lundbeck Foundation is now awarding the LF Professorships 2025 to five research projects, all of which have the potential to push...
