Through detailed analyses of large amounts of data, Sia Viborg Lindskrog has brought hope for earlier and more effective treatment for patients with bladder cancer.

“In the first part of my PhD project, I studied data from patients with early-stage bladder cancer. By analyzing which genes the cancer cells in a tumor express, we identified four subtypes of bladder cancer, one of which is associated with a more aggressive disease course,” says Sia Viborg Lindskrog.

Together with her research colleagues, Sia Viborg Lindskrog also delved deeper by examining gene expression at the single-cell level. This revealed that different subtypes of bladder cancer can coexist within the same tumor. According to Sia Viborg Lindskrog, this knowledge could pave the way for more individualized treatment of patients with early-stage bladder cancer.

“In the next part of the PhD project, we studied the later stages of the disease, where patients have had their bladder removed. Normally, patients are monitored with scans, but our results suggest that by instead measuring cancer DNA in the blood, potential relapses can be detected earlier,” she says.

Sia Viborg Lindskrog is continuing her research as a postdoc at the Department of Clinical Medicine, where she is working on a clinical study testing the measurement method on patients.

Contact

Postdoc and PhD Sia Viborg Lindskrog
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine – Molecular Medicine Section (MOMA)
Email: svl@clin.au.dk

Based on press material from Aarhus University Research Foundation.