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"Identification of Novel BIOmarkers and Drug Targets for the Detection and Elimination of Occult METastaseS in COlon Cancer"

Lasse Sommer Kristensen, Head of the BIOMETSCO Project. Photo credit: Lars Kruse

Lasse Sommer Kristensen

Associate Professor

Department of Biomedicine, AU

Head of the BIOMETSCO project

 

M: lasse@biomed.au.dk

 

Aim

The BIOMETSCO project (2021 - 2023) aimed to find biomarkers that can help predict whether or not a patient with colorectal cancer also has occult metastases. If present, these small and undetectable metastases currently pose a significant threat to the patient’s survival rate.

Approach

The BIOMETSCO team investigates tumor tissue samples from colon cancer patients, with a special interest in the invasive tumor front. First, an overall "bulk" analysis is performed to compare two different tissue samples (e.g., healthy vs disease) and identify genes of interest. The second step is spatial transcriptomics to find out which cells express the genes of interest and where these cells are located in the tissue. Lastly, the metastasis-related genes are analyzed in knockdown experiments.

This approach can in principle be applied to many other disease areas.

The team used a two-step process combining bulk analysis and spatial transcriptomics of different tissue samples to compare cancer and normal tissue. During the project, the BIOMETSCO team identified several potential biomarkers, generated a lot of data, and applied for (and received) a grant to continue one aspect of the ODIN project in a new project with new partners.

On this page, you can watch a video recorded at the beginning of the project. You can also read an article on the project's output and find lists of project participants on the BIOMETSCO team.

THE BIOMETSCO TEAM

Academic team members

  • Lasse S. Kristensen, Assoc. Professor, Aarhus University
  • Henrik Hager, Assoc. Professor, Aaarhus University Hospital
  • Morten Tobias Jarlstad Olesen
  • Juan Luis Garcia Rodriguez

Industrial team member

  • Mogens Kruhøffer, BioXpedia 
  • Morten Venø, omiics
  • Rudy Van Eijsden, NanoString Technology
  • Ultan McDermott, AstraZeneca

"There are two main reasons for us to participate actively in the ODIN network:

1. It’s a great way to expand our network – both within academia and in industry

2. It enables us to keep our fingers on the pulse regarding new research areas at the university.

Taken together, this help us to implement those technologies and workflows into our portfolio that are requested by our customers."

 

Mogens Kruhøffer, BioXpedia

Industry partner in the BIOMETSCO project

"In the BIOMETSCO project, we have employed new methodologies capable of generating vast amounts of data from numerous patient samples. Additionally, we wanted to develop biomarkers based on clinically applicable methods. Deciding on a study setup and data analysis methods was therefore not trivial.

Discussions with AstraZeneca and BioXpedia about this were instrumental for the success of the project. Furthermore, continued technical support from NanoString and assistance with bioinformatic analyses from Omiics were key."

 

Lasse Sommer Kristensen, Head of BIOMETSCO

Lasse Sommer Kristensen, Head of the BIOMETSCO project. Photo credit: Lars Kruse

ARTICLE

Read more about the BIOMETSCO project how the it has opened up for new research avenues

"Participating in ODIN is a great opportunity for an SME like omiics in several different ways. By participating in these ambitious projects we expand our current knowledgebase in relation  to biomarker and drug target discovery. The resulting publications are a strong channel to document the high value of our service to customers worldwide.

Participation in the ODIN network itself allows us to stay up to date on new initiatives and research at the university and in the other participating companies. Although we cannot meet with other participants at physical events, ODIN provides a digital platform, acting as a “virtual coffee-stand” for informal mingling and exchange of ideas.”

 

Morten Venø, omiics,

Industry partner in the BIOMETSCO project

ARTICLES FROM THE BIOMETSCO PROJECT

  1. García-Rodríguez JL, et al. 2023. Spatial Profiling of Circular RNAs in Cancer Reveals High Expression in Muscle and Stromal Cells. Cancer Res. 83(20):3340-3353. doi: https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-23-0748
  2. Korsgaard U, et al. 2024. The Transcriptional Landscape of Coding and Noncoding RNAs in Recurrent and Nonrecurrent Colon Cancer. Am J Pathol. 194(8):1424-1442. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.04.003
  3. García-Rodríguez JL, et al. 2025. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Shape the Formation of Budding Cancer Cells at the Invasive Front of Human Colorectal Cancer. Commun Biol. 8(1):1345. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08799-x
  4. Korsgaard U, et al. 2025. The Prognostic Potential of RNA in Stage II Colon Cancer: Insights from a Screened Multicenter Population-Based Cohort Study. Int J Cancer. 157(8):1746-1755. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.35507
  5. Korsgaard U, et al. 2026. Transcriptional Profiling of the Tumor Microenvironment of Recurrent and Non-Recurrent Stage II Colon Cancer. Sci Rep. 16(1):5454. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34975-4 

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ABOUT ODIN

ODIN brings researchers from academia and industry together to co-create need-driven research projects that can lead to new treatments, diagnostics, tools, and technologies. We fund the strongest project ideas through competitive funding calls. Companies cannot receive ODIN funding, but participation is free of charge and gives access to academic expertise, new collaborations, and opportunities to explore early-stage research challenges.

ODIN is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Lundbeck Foundation.

CONTACT ODIN

You are welcome to contact us if you have questions or comments. Reach out to odin@au.dk.

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Revised 12.08.2026
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Chantelle Dana Driever