Doktorand/Utbildningsplats

Sahlgrenska akademin utlyser doktorandplatser med placering vid institutionen för medicin.

Doktorandplatserna avser två års utbildningsbidrag och två års doktorandanställning och beräknas leda fram till doktorsexamen.

För mer information och ansökningsblankett se:
http://www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/doktorandportalen/Doktor_Fran_start_till_mal/doktorandplatser

Projektbeskrivning

Utilization of a selective nephrotoxin in the treatment of advanced clear cell renal cancer

Application deadline: 2010-07-06

Description of the research project
Premises: Renal cell carcinoma, or clear cell renal cancer, is associated with extremely poor prognosis if it spreads beyond the kidney.This happens in two thirds of the diagnosed cases.Several fungi of the Cortinarius family contains a toxin, orellanine, that selectively attacks renal tubular epithelial cells, i.e., exactly those cells that are the origin of the majority of renal cancers.

Hypothesis: Our hypothesis, lending strong support from preliminary results, is that orellanine also attacks and kills tubular epithelial cells that have transformed into cancer cells whether they are still in a primary tumor or have spread to distant organs as metastases.

Utility: If the substance has the intended effect, we have in our hands a new and very powerful weapon against clear cell renal cancer in an advanced stage - a form of cancer with a currently extremely bleak survival prognosis.

Objective: The objective of the project is to test the above hypothesis by trying out orellanine as treatment against renal cancer in an advanced stage.The objective is pursued on several levels:

A. Unraveling of the toxin mechanism with special focus on oxidative stress and cell signaling.
B. Determination of selectivity and efficiency of orellanine on the cellular level by studying how the toxin acts on various cell types and renal cancer cell lines.
C. Determination of the efficacy of orellanine against clear cell renal cancer in an animal model and finding the best type of dose regime.
D.Final testing through orellanine treatment of patients with terminal clear cell renal cancer that does not respond to any conventional treatment.

Alternative projects: The individual study plan is adapted to the applicant and the project may therefore deviate from that described above.Applicants with interests in other nephrology projects are therefore most welcome to apply.