Hei,
Lontoon keskustelupalstalla oli joku ilmeisesti ottanut tuon Mediauutisten 2vko ilmeisen kokeilujakson ja vienyt koko artikkelin google translaten läpi. Samantyyppinen henkilökuva -tyyppinen haastattelu Maijasta, kun aikoinaan Kauppalehti teki Markusta. Syövän parantaminen on todellakin heidän perhebisneksensä.
// Academy researcher, Associate Professor of Cancer Immunology Maija Hollmén talks about the subject of her work - the antibody that enhances the immune system, bexmarilimab - as a family member. Patience and warmth; its features throughout the hours.
The impression is understandable. The Clever-1 molecule that enabled the development of bexmarilimab was discovered in the early 2000s by Hollmén’s own mother, academician Sirpa Jalkanen. In summary, bexamarilimab is an antibody that blocks the action of the Clever-1 molecule, which in the human body causes the activation of cancer cells, macrophages. Treatment targets normal cells, not cancer cells. This is an advantage because, in theory, the drug works for the benefit of the patient, regardless of the type of cancer.
“My job is especially close to my heart because it’s based on my mother’s work. The development of bexmarilimab is like a family business for us. We both want our discoveries to really help people, ”says Hollmén.
Hollmén leads the Hollmén Lab working group of five researchers and one technician, which he founded in 2016, at MediCity of the University of Turku. The doctoral students in the group have their own dissertation research around the Clever-1 molecule, the topics of which support each other. The research team’s findings have played a significant role in introducing the antibody drug to clinical development and understanding its mechanism of action.
HOLLMÉN himself seldom spends time in the laboratory today. Days are spent at the office desk.
“My role is to act as a facilitator. I analyze data, design experiments, and apply for grants so that my team has the best conditions to do research. I also go to international meetings to let people know about our existence. ”
Hollmén’s team includes immunologists, biochemists and veterinarians. Diversity has proven to be an advantage.
“I make sure we have good scientists in circulation all the time. I like to hire smarter people to work, ”says Hollmén.
A clinical trial with bexmarilimab was started in 2018. To date, approximately 140 patients with advanced cancer have been treated worldwide who have already undergone all possible medical treatments prior to bexmarilimab. Many patients may have been impaired by previous treatments at the start of the trial.
“The results with bexmarilimab have been really promising. From the ten types of cancer, four truly potentially responsive cancers have been selected: melanoma, bile duct cancer, stomach cancer and liver cancer, ”says Hollmén.
Data on the effects of bexmarilimab are collected throughout. The future of a drug is most affected by the fact that it is found to be safe, but patient selection also plays an important role in determining the efficacy of a drug.
“The safety finding allows for the use of bexmarilimab in patients with early-stage cancer, which in turn provides more reliable data on the true efficacy of the drug.”
According to Hollmén, the state of MEDICAL INNOVATION in Finland is quite good. For example, the University of Turku receives dozens of invention notifications every year, which is a very respectable figure in relation to the size of the university. The problem, instead, is the commercialization of innovation.
“There seems to be a gap between academia and business, and the two are not communicating with each other. It takes a really long time to get a drug to the point that it can be given to a patient at all - not to mention commercializing. There is still a lot to do here in Finland.