Behrendt Group

Current projects

• Elucidation of the interplay between extracellular proteolysis and endocytic matrix breakdown in tissue remodeling and cancer invasion.

• The collagen receptor, uPARAP/Endo180 and related receptors.

• Strategies for interfering with collagen turnover in vivo, with particular emphasis to blocking monoclonal antibodies.

• Endocytic routes for the knock-down of specific gene products.

Group members with personal projects

PhD student Signe Ingvarsen, MSc.
Signe Ingvarsen´s project is focused on the characterization and blocking of the membrane-tethered matrix metalloproteases, MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP, using monoclonal antibodies raised in knock-out mice. Signe Ingvarsen´s work is sponsored by a personal PhD stipend from the University of Copenhagen, the Faculty of Science.

PhD student Daniel H. Madsen, MSc.
Daniel Madsen is engaged in molecular and functional studies on the collagen receptor, uPARAP, based on protein chemical and cellular characterization. Daniel Madsen´s work is sponsored by a personal PhD stipend from the Hospital´s Research Council at the Rigshospitalet.

Research Assistant Henrik Jessen Jürgensen. Henrik Jessen Jürgensen´s project is focused on structural properties of isolated functional units of uPARAP, using large-scale expression of recombinant products with the collagen-binding domains. The work is sponsored by a personal 1-year “Introduction” grant from the Hospital´s Research Council at Rigshospitalet.

Postdoc Maria C. Melander, PhD.
Maria Melander works on mouse cancer models and has particular focus on the blocking of collagenolytic components, including uPARAP/Endo180, in vivo with monoclonal antibodies. The work is spoinsored by a grant from the Danish National Research Foundation.

Collaborating principal scientist Lars H. Engelholm, PhD.
Lars Engelholm directs a number of projects within molecular cell biology and supervises the production of monoclonal antibodies. His major project is the elucidation of the physiological significance of the collagen receptor, uPARAP, based on studies with gene manipulated mice. The work also includes studies on endocytic routes for the knock-down of specific gene products.