The Apoptosis Laboratory is a research group in the Institute of Cancer Biology at the Danish Cancer Society. It was established under the leadership of Marja Jäättelä in 1997 in order to enlighten the mechanisms by which cancer cells escape apoptosis, and to find new ways to kill them.
In our research, we have followed our original ideas on the existence of “hidden” cell death pathways in therapy-resistant cancer cells and we were among the first to show the existence of such pathways and their importance in cancer biology.
Our work has not been limited to the molecular characterization of the alterative cell death pathways, but it has also formed a basis for the development of completely new types of anti-cancer drugs that target tumor cell lysosomes and/or regulate autophagy. Employing a broad array of modern molecular and cell biology techniques, our present research focuses on exploring the cancer-associated changes in the composition (proteins and lipids) and trafficking of lysosomes and autophagosomes as well as cancer relevant signalling pathways responsible for cross communication between various cell death and survival mechanisms.
The laboratory’s technical know-how on cellular and molecular biology as well as murine tumor models, are at the top international level and novel methods are continuously adapted and/or developed. The laboratory participates actively in several international research networks and has numerous bilateral collaborations with leading laboratories in the fields of proteomics, lipidomics, vesicle trafficking and cell death. In addition to the research itself, the education of students and postdoctoral fellows is among top priorities of the laboratory. Presently, the Apoptosis Laboratory has an international and enthusiastic staff of 24 persons.