Hollmén, Maija-Leena Kaarina, Dr.

Research Interests

• Study how different human cancer cell lines of different origin, oncogene mutation or aggressiveness affect macrophage polarization of human monocytes.
• Identify novel signals of cancer cells that promote M2 macrophage polarization to immunosuppression and lymphangiogenesis.
• Find novel targets on human macrophages that activate anti-tumour immunity instead of tumour growth and metastasis.

Education and Positions Held

7/2011 – present
Post-doctoral fellow, Laboratory of Prof. Dr. Michael Detmar, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland.

3-6/2011
Post-doctoral researcher, educational for immunological methods and imaging, Laboratory of Prof. Dr. Sirpa Jalkanen, MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Finland
*
3/2010
PhD, Laboratory of Prof. Dr. Klaus Elenius, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
Thesis: Role of ErbB2 and ErbB4 in cancer growth, prognosis and as targets for immunotherapy

*
2004 - 2010
PhD student, Turku Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (TuBS), University of Turku, Finland

6/2004
Master in Science, University of Turku, Finland. Thesis: Production and characterization of splice variant specific monoclonal antibodies against an ErbB4 tyrosine kinase receptor isoform

9/2002 - 2/2003
Erasmus Exchange, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy, Courses in Biology and Italian Language

2-6/2003
International Exchange, Università Carlo Cattaneo, Italy. Courses in Human Resource Management and Italian Language

1999 - 2004
Undergraduate studies in health biosciences, major subject drug development, University of Turku, Finland

* Career breaks: maternity leave 11/2005-8/2006; 6/2007-4/2008; 4/2010-2/2011

Publications

Elenius K, Sliwkowski MX and Hollmén M. Isoform specific anti-HER4 antibodies. Patent publication AU 2009324939 (A1), 2010-06-17

M Hollmén and K Elenius, Potential of ErbB4 antibodies for cancer therapy. Future Oncology 2010, 6:37-53, Review.

K Peltola, M Hollmén, S-M Maula, E Rainio, R Ristamäki, M Luukkaa, J Sandholm, M Sundvall, K Elenius, PJ Koskinen, R Grenman and S Jalkanen. Pim-1 kinase expression predicts radiation response in squamocellular carcinoma of head and neck and is under the control of epidermal growth factor receptor, Neoplasia 2009, 11:629-36.

M Hollmén, J Määttä, L Bald, MX Sliwkowski and K Elenius. Suppression of breast cancer cell growth by a monoclonal antibody targeting cleavable ErbB4 isoforms. Oncogene 2009, 28:1309-19.

D Tvorogov, M Sundvall, K Kurppa, M Hollmén, S Repo, M Johnsson and K Elenius. Somatic mutations of ErbB4: selective loss-of-function phenotype affecting signal transduction pathways in cancer. J Biol Chem 2009, 284:5582-91.

Tanner M, Hollmén M, Junttila TT, Tommola S, Soini Y, Helin H, Salo J, Joensuu H, Sihvo E, Elenius K and Isola J. Amplification of HER-2 in gastric carcinoma: association with Topoisomerase IIalpha gene amplification, intestinal type, poor prognosis, and ensitivity to trastuzumab. Annals of Oncology 2005, 16:273-278.