Akseli Hemminki July 27, 1973 (Helsinki) is a Finnish specialist in Oncology and Radiotherapy, Professor of Oncology and founder of two biotechnology companies.

Career

Akseli Hemminki worked in University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2000-2002, first as a post doctoral researcher and later as a Research Assistant Professor. Soon after his return to Finland in 2002 he founded his own research group in University of Helsinki, Cancer Gene Therapy Group[1] which he is still leading. In 2007-2013 Hemminki worked as a K. Albin Johansson Research Professor.[2] In 2015 he was appointed as a Jane and Aatos Erkko Professor of Oncology for five years period.[3] Akseli Hemminki has been selected as an "Outstanding Young Person of the World" by Junior Chamber International in 2006.[4]

Besides his scientific career Hemminki has worked as a physician in 1998-1999, as a resident in 2003-2007 and as a specialist in oncology since 2007 in HUS (Hospital district of Helsinki and Uusimaa)[5] and Docrates Cancer Center.[6]

Research

Akseli Hemminki’s research focuses on cancer immunotherapy and especially on oncolytic adenoviruses.[7] The goal of his research group is to create a new oncolytic adenovirus based treatment for cancers with no available curative treatment at the moment.[8][9] The key finding of the group is that oncolytic viruses – besides lyse tumor cells by oncolysis – trigger immune response towards the tumor.[10] Recently, Hemminki’s group has focused on attempting to enable T-cell therapy of solid tumors with oncolytic adenoviruses.[11] To facilitate setting up clinical trials Akseli Hemminki has founded two biotechnology companies: 2008 Oncos Therapeutics (merged with Targovax ASA in 2015[12][13]) and 2013 TILT Biotherapeutics.[14][15][16] Oncos completed the first oncolytic virus trial ever performed in Northern Europe in fall 2013.[17] Over 300 patients have been treated with cancer drugs developed by Hemminki.[18][19][20][21]

References

  1. ↑ Cancer Gene Therapy Group
  2. ↑ “Finnish Cancer Institute funded Professorship awarded to Akseli Hemminki (in Finnish)” , Biomedicum Helsinki webpages. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  3. ↑ “University of Helsinki Professors (in Finnish)”, University of Helsinki web-pages. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ “JCI Toyp Honeree List”, Junior Chamber International web-pages. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  5. ↑ HUS
  6. ↑ Docrates Cancer Center Professionals
  7. ↑ "Now the man who revolutionized cancer treatment is looking to help people", Kemianteollisuus webpages, "Views on Chemistry". Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Developing New Treatments for Cancers" Projects Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Using viruses to help battle cancer" Archived 2017-01-07 at the Wayback Machine HighTech Finland webpages. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ Cerullo, V.; Pesonen, S.; Diaconu, I.; Escutenaire, S.; Arstila, P. T.; Ugolini, M.; Nokisalmi, P.; Raki, M.; Laasonen, L.; Särkioja, M.; Rajecki, M.; Kangasniemi, L.; Guse, K.; Helminen, A.; Ahtiainen, L.; Ristimäki, A.; Räisänen-Sokolowski, A.; Haavisto, E.; Oksanen, M.; Karli, E.; Karioja-Kallio, A.; Holm, S. L.; Kouri, M.; Joensuu, T.; Kanerva, A.; Hemminki, A. (2010). "Oncolytic adenovirus coding for granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor induces antitumoral immunity in cancer patients". Cancer Research. 70 (11): 4297–309. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-3567. PMID 20484030.
  11. ↑ Tähtinen, S.; Grönberg-Vähä-Koskela, S.; Lumen, D.; Merisalo-Soikkeli, M.; Siurala, M.; Airaksinen, A. J.; Vähä-Koskela, M.; Hemminki, A. (2015). "Adenovirus Improves the Efficacy of Adoptive T-cell Therapy by Recruiting Immune Cells to and Promoting Their Activity at the Tumor". Cancer Immunology Research. 3 (8): 915–25. doi:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-14-0220-T. PMID 25977260.
  12. ↑ Targovax ASA
  13. ↑ "Targovax and Oncos Therapeutics join forces to create a Nordic leader within immuno-oncology - PRESS RELEASE" Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  14. ↑ TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd
  15. ↑ "TILT Biotherapeutics Secures 10 M ($10.6M) for Viral Cancer T-Cell Immunotherapy" Wave3 News. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Start-up Story. Tilt Biotherapeutics - Express to solid tumours" Archived 2016-12-23 at the Wayback Machine European Biotechnology Life Science and Industry Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  17. ↑ “ONCOS-102 (previously CGTG-102) for Therapy of Advanced Cancers” Clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ "ASGCT News, Summer 2011. Cancer Gene & Cell Therapy, Symposium 444" Archived 2017-02-17 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  19. ↑ Hemminki, O.; Hemminki, A. (2015). "A century of oncolysis evolves into oncolytic immunotherapy". Oncoimmunology. 5 (2): e1074377. doi:10.1080/2162402X.2015.1074377. PMC 4801451. PMID 27057442.
  20. ↑ Hemminki, A. (2014). "Oncolytic Immunotherapy: Where Are We Clinically?". Scientifica. 2014: 1–7. doi:10.1155/2014/862925. PMC 3914551. PMID 24551478.
  21. ↑ Ranki, T.; Pesonen, S.; Hemminki, A.; Partanen, K.; Kairemo, K.; Alanko, T.; Lundin, J.; Linder, N.; Turkki, R.; Ristimäki, A.; Jäger, E.; Karbach, J.; Wahle, C.; Kankainen, M.; Backman, C.; von Euler, M.; Haavisto, E.; Hakonen, T.; Heiskanen, R.; Jaderberg, M.; Juhila, J.; Priha, P.; Suoranta, L.; Vassilev, L.; Vuolanto, A.; Joensuu, T. (2016). "Phase I study with ONCOS-102 for the treatment of solid tumors – an evaluation of clinical response and exploratory analyses of immune markers". Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer. 4: 17. doi:10.1186/s40425-016-0121-5. PMC 4791966. PMID 26981247.
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