Group Martin Dalin
Short description
Research on liquid biopsies for evaluation of treatment response in childhood cancer.
Research summary
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is fragmented genetic material originating from dead tumor cells, that can be detected in the plasma and other body fluids of cancer patients. Analysis of ctDNA has emerged as a highly specific method to monitor tumor burden during and after oncologic treatment. The concentration of ctDNA is generally low, but recent development of genetic analysis methods has enabled measurements with increased sensitivity. In many cases, ctDNA has been found in patients with tumors too small to be detected with standard imaging modalities.
The aim of our research is to test the potential of ctDNA as a marker for treatment response and disease recurrence in pediatric oncology. This biomarker could potentially be used to optimize the treatment for each patient, and may thereby reduce the mortality and morbidity of cancer in children.
Research tools and resources
We run a translational study enrolling children treated for different typed of cancer at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. We have consecutive plasma, white blood cell and urine samples, collected before, during and after treatment, from a large number of patients. We use a range of DNA analysis techniques, including whole genome and exome sequencing as well as novel ultra-sensitive targeted mutation analysis methods.
Selected publications
- Circulating cell-free tumor DNA analysis in pediatric cancers. Andersson D, Fagman H, Dalin MG, Ståhlberg A. (2019) Mol Aspects Med. Sep 25. pii: S0098-2997(19)30091-3. doi: 10.1016/j.mam.2019.09.003.
- Multi-dimensional genomic analysis of myoepithelial carcinoma identifies prevalent oncogenic gene fusions.
Dalin MG, Katabi N, Persson M, Lee KW, Makarov V, Desrichard A, Walsh LA, West L, Nadeem Z, Ramaswami D, Havel JJ, Kuo F, Chadalavada K, Nanjangud GJ, Ganly I, Riaz N, Ho AL, Antonescu CR, Ghossein R, Stenman G, Chan TA, Morris LGT. (2017) Nat Commun. Oct 30;8(1):1197. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01178-z.
- Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Salivary Duct Carcinoma Reveals Actionable Targets and Similarity to Apocrine Breast Cancer.
Dalin MG, Desrichard A, Katabi N, Makarov V, Walsh LA, Lee KW, Wang Q, Armenia J, West L, Dogan S, Wang L, Ramaswami D, Ho AL, Ganly I, Solit DB, Berger MF, Schultz ND, Reis-Filho JS, Chan TA, Morris LG. (2016) Clin Cancer Res. Sep 15;22(18):4623-33. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-0637.
Contact information
Martin Dalin
E-mail: Martin Dalin
Visiting address:
Sahlgrenska Center
for Cancer Research,
Medicinaregatan 1F
413 90 Gothenburg
Christin Karlsson, Senior researcher
Christin is a licensed Biomedical Analyst with a bachelor in Biomedicine, Chemistry and Data and a master in Biology and Chemistry at the University of Gothenburg. She received her PhD at the University of Gothenburg in 1997, with the thesis “Studies on mechanisms of biocompatibility elicited at blood-material interfaces.” She has several years of experience as a postdoc/researcher at the University of Gothenburg. She is now an Associate Professor at the department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Gothenburg. Since 2019, she is a part-time lab manager in the group.
Fani Pujol Calderón, Postdoc
Fani has a bachelor in Biotechnology at the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, and a master in Basic and translational research in human pathologies at University of Barcelona. She received her PhD at the University of Gothenburg in 2019, with the thesis “Neurofilaments as biomarkers of neuronal damage”. As of 2020, she is a postdoc in the group, focusing mainly on experimental method development.
Ida Rahmqvist, PhD student
Ida has a bachelor in Molecular Biology and a master in Genomics and Systems Biology at University of Gothenburg. Since 2019, she is a PhD student in the group, focusing on both bioinformatics and experimental biology.
Elisabeth Mellström, PhD student
Elisabeth received her MD at the University of Perugia, Italy. She has around 14 years of experience as a pediatrician, working in Croydon University Hospital, King’s College Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital in London, and in Centralsjukhuset, Karlstad. She is now a specialist in pediatric oncology and hematology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. As of 2019, Elisabeth is a part-time PhD student in the group, focusing mainly on clinical aspects of the project.
Raghda Ibrahim, PhD student
Raghda has a bachelor in Dental medicine and surgery and a master in Biotechnology from the University of Alexandria, Egypt. She started in the group as a student in 2019, and in June 2020 she received a master in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology at Lund University. Since then, she has been a full-time associate researcher in group Martin Dalin. As of autumn 2021, she has started a position as a PhD student, focusing her work on method development and experimental research.
Robert Khashan, Assistant
Robert is studying medicine at the University of Gothenburg, and did a summer fellowship in the group in 2020. After that, he has continued doing research in parallel with his studies.
