Jenny Persson

The long-term goal of our research is to study the role of multiple cellular pathways in cancer cells and their microenvironment during progression to metastasis and treatment resistance. We also aim at developing small molecule inhibitors for targeted therapy and personalized medicine for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, breast cancer, and colon, lung and pancreatic cancers that share common K-RAS mutations.

Our research expertise spans in molecular genetics, stem cell biology, immunology, signaling transduction and cancer biology. We developed novel drug candidates to target cancer-initiating cells. I was previously professor and Head of Section of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University; Malmö. Department of Translational Medicine, Lund Universit. Honorary Professor of Experimental Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, Veterinary School, University of Nottingham, UK. We play a leading role in cancer research at international forefront. We have established extensive networks and interdisciplinary research collaborations with national and international clinical and preclinical experts and industries. We have two large EU framework project grants EU –GlycoImaging 721297, EU-REVERT no848098-H2020-SC1-2, and the Swedish National Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Foundation and the Swedish Children Cancer Foundation. I am a board member of Research Grant Review committee in the Swedish Cancer Foundation. I serve as board member of University Council for Artificial Intelligence at Umeå University.

Most of our publications can be found in journals: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Cancer Research, Blood, Oncogene, Journal of National Cancer Institute, Leukemia, International Journal of Cancer, Journal of Molecular Biology, Oncotarget, PLos One, International Journal of Cancer, Current Targeted Cancer Therapy, and Current Medicinal Chemistry.

1. Larsson P, Syed Khaja AS, Semenas J, Wang T, Sarwar M, Dizeyi N, Simoulis A, Hedblom A, Wai SN, Ødum N, Persson JL. The functional interlink between AR and MMP9/VEGF signaling axis is mediated through PIP5K1α/pAKT in prostate cancer. Int J Cancer. 2020, 146:1686-1699. IF= 7.36 (AR and MMP9/VEGF acts through Lipid kinase PIP5K1α and PI3K/AKT to promote prostate cancer metastasis).
   
   
2. Hedblom A, Hejazi SM, Canesin G, Choudhury R, Hanafy KA, Csizmadia E, Persson JL, Wegiel B. Heme detoxification by heme oxygenase-1 reinstates proliferative and immune balances upon genotoxic tissue injury. Cell Death Dis. 2019, 10(2):72. IF=6.1. (Immune system are maintained by the ability of myeloid progenitors to differentiate and mature into macrophages. This is mediated partially through a PI3K-Akt-dependent mechanism).
   
   
3. Sarwar M, Syed Khaja AS, Aleskandarany M, Karlsson R, Althobiti M, Ødum N, Mongan NP, Deizy N, Johnson H, Green A, Ellis I, Rakha E, Persson JL. The role of PIP5K1a/pAKT and targeted inhibition of growth of subtypes of breast cancer using PIP5K1α inhibitor. Oncogene 2018, 38:375-389. IF= 7.5 (Lipid kinase PIP5K1α acts on PI3K/AKT and serves as co-factor of ER-alpha. PIP5K1α inhibitor has a great potential to inhibit metastatic growth of subtypes of breast cancer).
   
   
4. Mandel A, Larsson P, Sarwar M, Semenas J, Syed Khaja AS and Persson JL. The interplay between AR, EGF receptor and MMP9 signaling pathways in invasive prostate cancer. Molecular Medicine 2018, 24:34, IF= 4.8 (Elevated expression of AR, EGFR and MMP9 can be inhibited by blocking lipid kinase PIP5K1α that acts on the upstream of PI3K/AKT pathways).
   
   
5. Miftakhova R, Hedblom A, Semenas J, Robinson B, Simoulis A, Malm J, Rizvanov A, Heery D, Mongan NP, Maitland NJ, Allegrucci C, Persson JL. Cyclin A1 and P450 aromatase promote homing and growth of stem-like prostate cancer cells to bone marrow. Cancer Research 2016 76:2453-2464. IF= 9.12 (Local production of steroids and MMPs in the bone marrow may provide a microenvironment for metastatic cancer growths, offering new approaches to therapeutically target bone metastases).
   
   
6. Sarwar M, Semenas J, Miftakhova R, Simoulis A, Robinson B, Mongan NP, Heery D, Johnsson H, Abrahamsson PA, Dizeyi N, Luo J, Persson JL. Targeted suppression of AR-V7 using PIP5K1α inhibitor overcomes enzalutamide resistance in prostate cancer cells. Oncotarget 2016, 7:63065-63081. IF= 5.16 (PIP5K1α inhibitor disrupts protein stabilization of AR-V7 which is dependent on PIP5K1α, leading to suppression of invasive growth of AR-V7-high tumors in xenograft mice).
   
   
7. Miftakhova R, Hedblom A, Batkiewicz L, Anagnosaki L, Zhang Y, Sjölander A, Wingren AG, Wolgemuth DJ, Persson JL. Cyclin A1 regulates the interactions between mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and their niches. Cell Cycle 2015, 14:1948-60. IF=4.5 (The endosteal and central BM niche zones to attract and home the wild-type HSPC are attributed to the increased density of microvessels in the endosteal and central BM niche zones).
   
   
8. Semenas J, Hedblom A, Miftakhova RR, Sarwar M, Larsson R, Shcherbina L, Johansson ME, Härkönen P, Sterner O, Persson JL. The role of PI3K/AKT-related PIP5K1α and the discovery of its selective inhibitor for treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014; 111:E3689-98. IF= 10.4. This paper was highlighted in Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2014, 13:723. (We discovered a new chemical compound (ISA-2011B), an inhibitor of PI-4-phosphate 5 kinase α (PIP5K1α), is a promising agent targeting the PI3K/AKT pathway in advanced prostate cancer.)
   
   
9. Sajid A, Dizeyi N, Kopparapu PK, Anagnostaki L, Härkönen P, Persson JL. Cyclin A1 modulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and promotes hormone-dependent growth and angiogenesis of breast cancer. PLOS ONE 2013; 8(8): e72210. IF= 3.2. (The multiple cellular pathways, including cell cycle regulators, angiogenesis and estrogen receptor signalling, may cooperatively contribute to breast cancer progression).
   
   
10. Wegiel B, Bjartell A, Tumolea J, Dizeyi N, Tinzl M, Helczynski L, Nilsson E, Otterbein L E, Harkonen P, Persson JL. Multiple cellular mechanisms related to cyclin A1 in prostate cancer invasion and metastasis. Journal of National Cancer Institute 2008; 100:1022-1036. IF=14.93 (Cyclin A1 contributes to prostate cancer invasion by modulating the expression of MMPs and VEGF and by interacting with AR).