How can we improve the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic liver disease? This is the focus of Professor Holger Jon Møller’s work on biomarkers and the Norwegian Eldjarn Foundation has now honoured his research. In 2012 he wrote an article for the magazine ‘The Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation’ on macrophages and biomarkers for inflammatory diseases. The Eldjarn Foundation is now rewarding both the article and the research behind it for their high quality with a prize of DKK 100,000.

"I am very grateful. The prize is a great recognition of the research taking place at Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital," says Holger Jon Møller.

Research into inflammatory diseases

Holger Jon Møller’s field of research is biomarkers in the blood that stem from special immune cells called macrophages.

"Macrophages are a very exciting type of cell that researchers can now show play a critical role in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, liver disease and diabetes. And also in the case of cancers, where the macrophages cause the tumours to grow," says Holger Jon Møller.

Macrophages secrete proteins in the blood. Using simple blood samples, Holger Jon Møller is able to measure biomarkers such as these proteins. This makes it possible to diagnose and monitor diseases involving macrophages.

"Today research into macrophages is important for patients with inflammatory diseases. Now the disease can be followed through biomarkers and in the future the same patients will benefit from targeted therapy against macrophages," says Holger Jon Møller.

This year the Eldjarn Foundation selected 20 articles on the basis of how many times they had been cited in other journals over the past five years. In the second round, three of the articles were nominated to participate in a lecture competition at the Nordic Congress in Clinical Chemistry in Gothenburg in September – and it was here that Holger Jon Møller won first prize.  

You can read more about the article with which Holger Jon Møller won here.

Further information

Professor, Consultant Holger Jon Møller
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry
Direct tel.: +45 7846 3450
Mobile: +45 3120 2201
holgmoel@rm.dk
holger.jon.moller@clin.au.dk