About the group

Our extensive therapy studies, combined with companion laboratory research for CRC patients with high-risk or metastatic disease, have revealed that chemotherapy and radiotherapy can invoke tumor-directed immune activity.

These discoveries have paved the way for clinical-translational trials that integrate traditional tumor-directed therapies with modern immunotherapy approaches.

Our laboratory investigations focus on enhancing our understanding of how immunotherapy works in conjunction with the traditional therapies. Equally important, we seek to understand why the immune system fails to elicit the desired anti-tumor activity in some patients.

Objectives

The scientific activities of the CMOR research group in clinical and academic oncology are grounded in both single-center and multi-center investigator-originated clinical-translational studies focusing on biologically adapted therapies for CRC patients with early-advanced or late-stage disease.

In recent years, this research program has expanded within a national cooperative trial group established by professor Ree.

The long-term goals of the program include further strengthening comprehensive national trial activities and enhancing translational research within oncology and cancer biology sciences conducted by the CMOR group fellows of medical scholars, molecular biologists, and imaging physicists.

Professor Ree aims to build scientific activities that address the needs of a large patient population, and with transfer value to other tumor entities that can be edited into susceptibility to immune therapy, towards refining precision immuno-oncology practices. 

Projects

Ongoing projects

  • From 2022: Metastatic pMMR/MMS Colorectal Cancer – Shaping Anti-Tumor Immunity by Oxaliplatin: the METIMMOX-2 Trial.
  • From 2022: Tailoring Treatment in Colorectal Cancer – the TargetCRC Trial.
  • From 2025: Functional Precision Medicine for Chemotherapy-Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer – the Randomized DSEE-CRC Trial.
  • From 2025: The METIMMOX-3 Trial.

Accomplished PhD projects

  • 2025, Anniken Jørlo Fuglestad: C-reactive Protein in Colorectal Cancer – a Clinical Renaissance.

  • 2021, Hanna Abrahamsson: Vitamin D Status and Immune Responsiveness in High-Risk and Advanced Colorectal Cancer.

  • 2019, Kine M. Bakke: Assessing Cancer Aggressiveness by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

  • 2019, Tonje Bjørnetrø: Extracellular Vesicles in Colorectal Cancer – Mediators of Tumor Aggressiveness.

  • 2017, Sebastian Meltzer: Circulating Markers of Immunogenicity and Metastasis in Combined-Modality Treatment of Rectal Cancer.

  • 2015, Helga Helseth Hektoen: Translational Studies of Microenvironmental Factors in Rectal Cancer with Emphasis on Tumor Hypoxia.

  • 2015, Knut Håkon Hole: Magnetic Resonance Guidance for the Multidisciplinary Management of Pelvic Malignancies – Clinical Potential and Technical Limitations.

  • 2014, Marie Grøn Sælen: Rectal Cancer – Functional Molecular Profiling and Targeting of Tumor Hypoxia in Radiation Response and Metastasis.

  • 2012, Kathrine Røe: Treatment Response Evaluation in Experimental Prostate Cancer by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Profiling.

  • 2009, Sigurd Folkvord: Experimental Radiosensitization and Molecular Prediction of Chemoradiotherapy Response in Rectal Cancer.

  • 2009, Åse Bratland: Therapeutic Targeting of Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Tumor Progression and Metastasis.

Accomplished postdoctoral projects

  • 2025, Sebastian Meltzer: Circulating Markers of Anti-Tumor Immunity Shaped by Oxaliplatin.
  • 2025, Tonje Bjørnetrø: Adverse Inflammation Versus Antitumor Immunity in Advanced Colorectal Cancer – Mastered by the Mitochondrial Metabolism.
  • 2023, Kine M. Bakke: Creating Immunity to Eradicate Early Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer - Functional MR Imaging Biomarkers.
  • 2020, Paula A. Bousquet: Hypoxic Tumor Targets in Advanced Radiotherapy and Prevention of Metastasis in Rectal Cancer.

  • 2019, Lise Lund-Berven: Efficacy and Tolerability to Targeted Combined-Modality Therapy – Biological Mechanisms in Colorectal Cancer.

  • 2017, Erta Kalanxhi: OxyART – Actionable Radiotherapy Targets in hypOxic Tumors.

  • 2015, Karianne Risberg: Tumor Hypoxia in Rectal Cancer – Improving Radiotherapy Outcome by Kinomic Profiling.

  • 2015, Kathrine Røe Redalen: Tumor Hypoxia in Rectal Cancer – Improving Radiotherapy Outcome by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.