Cancer Regulation and Immunology research group (PI: adjunct professor Kirsi Rautajoki, Ph.D.) investigates how immunosuppression and aberrant immune regulation are generated and maintained in the (brain) tumor microenvironment as well as how altered epigenetic and gene regulation drives malignancy and cell plasticity, also by hijacking regulation in normal stem cells. Furthermore, we develop novel methods to utilize DNA methylation for brain tumor diagnostics.
Our research focuses on brain tumors, especially glioblastomas, other diffuse astrocytomas, and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs), as well as prostate cancer. The group is composed of both computational and experimental researchers and we have expertise in a wide range of epigenetics, gene expression, single-cell, and spatial analysis methods. We work closely with clinical experts and mainly utilize patient samples and in-house generated patient-derived explant cultures in our research. The group is active in Finnish Brain Tumor Research Association (FiBTRA).
Group’s website: Cancer Regulation and Immunology | Rautajoki lab | Tampere Universities