Cancer Metabolism

To unravel the full spectrum of molecular mechanisms driving the associations between physiological stressors and cancer risk and progression

Dr Nils Halberg

Group Leader

Research Focus

The Cancer Metabolism Group is keenly interested in how the physiological state of a person affects cancers.

Over a person’s lifetime, somatic cells will accumulate spontaneously occurring gene mutations, the majority of which do not cause disease. The global incidence of cancer has more than doubled over the past 30 years – primarily due to increasing living standards, modern lifestyles, and an aging population.

The common denominator for these is alterations to the physiological homeostasis of the individual at risk rather than a change in mutational burden. This strongly implies that the interaction of physiological conditions with cells harboring oncogenic mutations governs cancer risk.

The Cancer Metabolism lab utilises systems biology technologies to both clinical biobank and mouse models to dissect the molecular drivers of the intersect between physiology and tumorigenesis.

Gallery

Research Projects

Current Research Projects

How does epigenetic deregulation regulate obesity-induced tumor formation?

How is the tumor ecosystem affected by obesity and how does that affect tumor outcomes?

Favorite Topics

Spatial Technologies

Organelle Biology

Adipocytes

Metabolic Regulation

Research Team

Kelly Velasco

Adam Truskewycz

Line Petersen

Sina Takle

Funding

Research Council Norway - Scientific Renewal
Research Council Norway - Young Talent
Norwegian Cancer Society - Open Call
Norwegian Cancer Society - Pink Ribbon
Research Council Norway - Commercialisation
Novo Nordisk Foundation - PreSeed
Trond Mohn Foundation - Starter Grant

Key Publications

C/EBPB-dependent adaptation to palmitic acid promotes tumor formation in hormone receptor negative breast cancer. Liu XZ, Rulina A, Choi MH, Pedersen L, Lepland J, Takle ST, Madeleine N, Peters SD, Wogsland CE, Grøndal SM, Lorens JB, Goodarzi H, Lønning PE, Knappskog S, Molven A, Halberg N. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 10;13(1):69. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27734-2. PMID: 35013251

PITPNC1 Recruits RAB1B to the Golgi Network to Drive Malignant Secretion. Halberg N, Sengelaub CA, Navrazhina K, Molina H, Uryu K, Tavazoie SF. Cancer Cell. 2016 Mar 14;29(3):339-353. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2016.02.013. PMID: 26977884

Cellular mechanisms linking cancers to obesity. Liu XZ, Pedersen L, Halberg N. Cell Stress. 2021 Apr 12;5(5):55-72. doi: 10.15698/cst2021.05.248. PMID: 33987528

Fully updated list of publications (google scholar)

Student Projects

Mechanistic understanding of how obesity causes cancer Research project #1: What are the properties of cancer cells adapted to aberrant physiological environments?

Mechanistic understanding of how obesity causes cancer Research project #2: How do physiological stressors affect the tumor ecosystem?

Further Information

Past Lab Members

PhD Students

Xiaozheng Liu 2016-2020 (Now, postdoc with Sarah Fendt, KU Leuven)
Benedict Man Hung Choi 2017-2020 (Now, postdoc with Hani Goodarzi, Arc Institute/UCSF)
Pouda Panahandeh 2015-2019 (Now, postdoc with Gunnar Melgre, University of Bergen)
Line Pedersen 2015-2019 (Now Marie Curie Fellow with Philipp Scherer, UTSW and Halberg lab)

Post Docs