About

The Hematology Research Unit Helsinki is a translational research group, which is part of the Translational Immunology Program (TRIMM), in the Research Program Unit (RPU), at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki (UH). We are also affiliated to the Helsinki University Hospital (HUCH) Comprehensive Cancer Center and have close connections with the clinical patient care and basic science.
HRUH in a nutshell

Our group aims to discover the sensitivity and resistance mechanisms of blood cancer cells to immune effector cells and how the efficacy of immune therapies can be improved in individualized manner.  In addition, we aim to understand how acquired somatic mutations impact the function of immune cells and whether they are related to aberrant immune responses both in auto- and alloimmune diseases and in cancer. In the program, we provide know-how in genetics, tumor immunology, hematology, and bioinformatics.

Our laboratory and office spaces are located in Biomedicum Helsinki, a center for medical research and training established in 2001 in Helsinki, Finland. We have a strong international collaborative network, which includes both basic scientists and clinical researchers in the fields of hematology, immunology and molecular genetics from all over the world (US, Japan, several European countries), thus offering excellent surroundings for translational projects.

We are also part of , which is a national flagship program providing solutions to cancer challenges. The iCAN Flagship Project is a globally unique pan-cancer biobank study that combines cancer genetics, translational and clinical cancer research, biobanks, information technology and artificial intelligence. iCAN grant us with valuable resources and access to a great network of talented scientists.

HRUH builds on a strong basic science and clinical backbone, and the study questions evolve directly from patient care. However, we also aim to bring the results back from bench to bedside and believe that the clinical patient care will be more individualized in the near future-thus providing excellent settings for translational research projects and close collaborations with clinicians and basic scientists.
Collaborators
  • Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School (USA): Constantine S. Mitsiades
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Hematology Branch (USA): Neal S. Young
  • University Of Virginia Cancer Center (USA): Thomas P. Loughran
  • Taussig Cancer Institute (USA): Jaroslaw Maciejewski
  • Helsinki University Hospital (FIN): Marjatta Leirisalo-Repo, Heikki Repo, Annamari Ranki and Mikko Seppänen
  • Turku Centre For Biotechnology (FIN): Riitta Lahesmaa, Laura Elo-Uhlgren and Tapio Lönnberg
  • Aalto University (FIN): Harri Lähdesmäki
  • University of Helsinki (FIN): Vincenzo Cerullo
  • University of Eastern Finland (FIN): Merja Heinäniemi
  • Institute For Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM, FIN): Olli Kallioniemi, Caroline Heckman, Krister Wennerberg, Tero Aittokallio, Janna Saarela, Jing Tang and Pekka Ellonen
  • National Center For Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg (GER)
  • Cecad, Cologne University (GER): Marco Herling
  • National Cancer Center, Tokyo (JPN): Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
  • Shinzu University Hospital (JPN): Fumiro Ishida
  • Nordic CML Study Group: Henrik Hjorth-Hansen (NOR), Johan Richter (SWE), Ulla Olsson-Strömberg (SWE), Leif Stenke (SWE) and Bjorn-Tore Gjertsen (NOR)
  • University Of Bristol (UK): Linda Wooldridge
  • JAK-STAT Consortium: Marco Herling, University of Cologne (GER), Heidi Neubauer & Richard Moriggl, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (AT), Patrick Gunning, University of Toronto (CAN), Benjamin Haibe-Kains, University Health Network (CAN), Tero Aittokallio, FIMM (FIN).