CoE in Host Defence Research

The CoE’s main focus of research is the function of viruses, bacteria and cancer cells as well as the defence mechanisms of the human body.

Normally, the organism’s defence mechanisms are constantly working to fend off viruses and bacteria intruding the skin and mucous membranes. They also destroy the cancer cells that are generated in our body every day.

However bacteria and viruses have developed mechanisms for deceiving the immune defence system so that they can intrude the body. Cancer cells, for their part, are capable of making use of migration molecules in white blood cells, allowing them to roam about the body and form deadly metastases. As yet, our knowledge about these mechanisms is virtually non-existent.

The CoE involves leading experts in basic research and one of Finland’s most prominent and successful areas of clinical medicine, i.e. oncology.

The research team is quite unique in its composition, allowing for the application of the results in basic research to clinical settings, disease diagnostics and patient care.

Research aims
The CoE’s major research aim is to explore the mechanisms that control the movement of viruses, bacteria and cancer cells and the way in which a normally functioning defence mechanism can render them harmless. The unit makes use of the most advanced methods of cellular and molecular biology, imaging techniques and well-controlled patient materials.

It is crucially important to understand the mechanisms that govern the movement of viruses, bacteria and cancer cells as well as the immune system responses they elicit: they provide several target molecules and mechanisms that can be used in diagnostics, in monitoring diseases and in developing new medical drugs.

New treatments can alleviate patients’ suffering and prevent premature deaths. They can also help boost the competitiveness of the national economy – especially if product development jobs remain in Finland.

CoE organisation
The CoE is headed by Professor Sirpa Jalkanen, who works at the University of Turku and the National Institute for Health and Welfare. Other staff at the CoE includes one professor, one laboratory director, 13 PhD researchers and 17 PhD students.

The CoE is well networked both nationally and internationally. It has partners from top universities around the world, including Harvard, Stanford and Cambridge. It also works closely with the pharmaceuticals industry. The set-up is ideal for enhancing Finland’s international competitiveness and visibility.

Contact information
Professor Sirpa Jalkanen, University of Turku, Institute of Microbiology and Pathology/Medicity, tel. +358 2 333 7007, firstname.lastname @utu.fi