My research focuses on investigating the prognoostic significance of biologically relevant biomarkers, which are key components of the tumour microenvironment (TME)  and have the potential to influence both tumour growth and patients' prognosis and responce to treatment.

Basic research into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of selective autophagy and cell signaling and how these affect neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. Cells remove damaged, worn-out or surplus proteins, lipids and organelles through selective autophagy. When this process goes wrong, it leads to conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. The selective removal of damaged or surplus mitochondria through autophagy or mitophagy is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis and prevent diseases. We discovered that the proteins NIPSNAP1/2 act as ‘Eat-me’ signals on mitochondria that determine their removal. We have also discovered that the protein SAMM50 act as receptor to remove worn-out or surplus mitochondrial parts through piecemeal mitophagy.

Several drugs used to treat cancer tend to damage the mitochondria in other to induce apoptosis and kill cancer cells. We have now discovered that cancer cells are able to turn on mitophagy quickly to removed damaged mitochondrial upon treatment, and this process contribute greatly to drug resistance. We are now studying the mechanism of drug-induced mitophagy in other to understand how we can target this pathway to allow for cancer drugs to be more effective.

Platlet immunology
Alloimmune repsonses in pregnancy
T cell responses associated with Fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia

Publications

2018

Orzińska A, Guz K, Uhrynowska M, Dȩbska M, Mikula M, Ostrowski J, Ahlen MT, Husebekk A, Brojer E.Noninvasive prenatal HPA-1 typing in HPA-1a negative pregnancies selected in the Polish PREVFNAIT screening program. Transfusion 2018 s. 1-7

2017

Dahl, J, Refsum E, Ahlen MT, Egeland T, Jensen T, Viken MK, Stuge TB, Acharya G, Husebekk A, Skogen B, Tiller H. Unraveling the role of maternal anti-HLA class I antibodies in fetal and neonatal thrombocytopenia?Antibody specificity analysis using epitope data. Journal of Reproductive Immunology 2017 ;Volum 122. s. 1-

Tiller H, Husebekk A, Ahlen, MT, Stuge, TB, Skogen, B. Current perspectives on fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia - Increasing clinical concerns and new treatment opportunities. International Journal of Women's Health 2017 ;Volum 9. s. 223-234

2016

Ahlen MT, Husebekk A, Killie IL, Skogen B, Stuge, TB. T cell responses to human platelet antigen-1a involve a unique form of indirect allorecognition. JCI Insight 2016 ;Volum Sep 8.(1) Suppl. 14 s. e86558

2013

Heide G, Stuge TB, Skogen B, Husebekk A, Ahlen MT. The DR7-DQ2 haplotype in a native Norwegian population. Scand J Immunol. 2013 May;77(5):429-30 

2012

Husebekk A, El Ekiaby M, Gorgy G, Killie MK, Uhlin-Hansen C, Salma W, Navarrete C, El Afandi M, Skogen B, Ahlen MT. Foetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia in Egypt; human platelet antigen genotype frequencies and antibody detection and follow-up in pregnancies. Transfus Apher Sci. 2012 May 26.

Ahlen MT, Husebekk A, Killie MK, Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Olsson ML and Skogen B. The development of severe neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia due to anti-HPA-1a antibodies is correlated to maternal ABO genotypes. Clin Dev Immunol. 2012:156867.

2011

Stuge TB, Skogen B, Ahlen MT, Husebekk A, Urbaniak SJ, Bessos H. The cellular immunobiology associated with fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. Transfus Apher Sci. 2011 Aug;45(1):53-9. Review.

2010

Husebekk A, Ahlen MT; Killie MK, Tiller H, Eksteen M, Killie IL, Heide G, Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Skogen BR, Stuge TB. Blood group antigens and immune responses-detailed knowledge is necessary to prevent immunization and to follow up immunized individuals. ISBT Science Series 2010 ;Volum 5.(1) s. 24-26

Skogen BR, Killie MK, Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Ahlen MT, Tiller H, StugeTB, Husebekk A. Reconsidering fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia with a focus on screening and prevention. Expert Review of Hematology 2010 ;Volum 3.(5) s. 559-566

2009

Ahlen MT, Husebekk A, Killie MK, Skogen BR, Stuge TB. T-cell responses associated with neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia: isolation of HPA-1a-specific, HLA-DRB3*0101-restricted CD4+ T cells. Blood 2009 ;Volum 113.(16) s. 3838-3844

Aging, inflammation, DNA repair, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases