Globally, 3 out of 5 persons lose their lives to chronic inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, skin diseases, renal diseases and obesity. Inflammatory diseases are the most prevailing cause of death worldwide and the numbers keep rising.

The network focuses on reducing the burden of infectious and inflammatory diseases caused by pathogens, damaged cells, toxic compounds or radiation in order to develop new diagnostic and treatment technologies.

As a society, we need more knowledge about the correlation between e.g. inflammation and development of cancer, about biomarkers and about molecular mechanisms of autoimmunity in e.g. rheumatological conditions - not to mention chronic mucosal inflammation. In the inflammation network we collaborate interdisciplinearily in order to find answers.

We comprise a wide range of researchers with interest in diagnostic methods, epidemiological data, inflammatory markers and intracellular pathways, understanding of cell population and tissue structures, among others.

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Paper of the Month

Torben Steiniche

Douglas Hanahan and Robert Weinberg initially proposed the "hallmarks of cancer" in 2000, outlining key physiological changes driving normal cells to become cancerous, and updated this concept in 2011. These hallmarks facilitate understanding cancer's development and progression, aiding in identifying therapeutic targets. In 2022, Hanahan introduced three additional dimensions to cancer understanding: Unlocking Phenotypic Plasticity, Nonmutational Epigenetic Reprogramming, and Polymorphic Microbiomes. Research, including fecal transplants from colon tumor patients to mice, highlighted the role of microbiomes in cancer, showing they can either protect against or promote tumor growth. Hanahan's inclusion of the microbiome as a potential new hallmark emphasizes the link between inflammation and cancer even further.

Hallmarks of Cancer: New Dimensions.

Hanahan D.Cancer Discov. 2022 Jan;12(1):31-46. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-1059.PMID: 35022204 Review.