10 million DKK for research on zombie cells
Panos Galanos has received support to establish his own research group at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The group will work on the bizarre zombie like senescent cells: On one hand, they can inhibit the division of cancer cells and, on the other hand, promote it.
Cancer isn't one disease, but many different diseases triggered by various factors, with different courses and requiring different treatments.
One of the many players in the formation and development of cancer tumors is the so-called zombie cells, and Panos Galanos, with his grant, will now delve into studying them further.
Zombie cells are cells that have gone dormant in the body. They have stopped dividing and don't even have the ability to self-destruct, as worn-out cells normally do. They are still active, but what their role is, is still unclear. They emerge with age and can, from their dormant state, release substances that cause age-related disorders such as tissue breakdown and osteoporosis.
Non-dividing cells are interesting
When talking about cancer, non-dividing cells are interesting because cancer is characterized by aggressive cell division. Zombie cells thus have the ability to prevent cancer tumors from forming and growing in the body simply because cell division cannot occur.
But zombie cells can also release substances that, besides causing age-related disorders, may cause cancer. For example, they do this by supporting the transformation of benign cells into malignant ones and by stimulating the division of cancer cells.
"One of the questions we will work on in my new research group is how zombie cells can exit their non-dividing state and thus become cancer-causing," says Panos Galanos.
Lung cancer patients will provide cells
His group will study cells from lung cancer patients. Zombie cells are frequently seen in many contexts with lung cancer progression, so the idea is to study how zombie cells function in these patients. The hope is to generate ideas for the development of new treatments.
But to study zombie cells, it's necessary to first identify them. To do this, researchers look for specific proteins that act as markers. Another option is to use a fluorescent marker, GLF16, which Panos Galanos helped develop in 2023, and which sorts out all zombie cells in a sample.
Since zombie cells not only play a role in cancer but also in a wide range of other age-related disorders, Panos Galanos' research also has the potential to shed new light on other age-related disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, he believes.
Research project title: Research Project: 'Deciphering Cellular Senescence – The Next Frontier in Cancer Evolution and Therapeutic Resistance'
Meet the researcher
Panos Galanos is a postdoc who previously conducted research for the Danish Cancer Institute. Now, he is establishing his own research group at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He originally studied biology at Athens University.