About renal cancer

Renal cellcarcinoma (RCC) accounts for around 3% of adult cancers, and more than 800 patients are diagnosed each year in Denmark.

Although more kidney cancers are now detected incidentally through widespread use of CTimaging, RCC remains a major clinical challenge. A substantial proportion of patients present with metastatic disease at diagnosis, and many others relapse after surgery performed with curative intent. In advanced disease, immunotherapy has improved outcomes for some patients, but reliable biomarkers for treatment selection, monitoring, and early detection of relapse are still lacking.
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Our research

The Lyskjær Group at the Department of Molecular Medicine (MOMA) was established in 2023 and works at the interface of molecular biology, immunology, bioinformatics, and clinical oncology.

Our research focuses on improving patient management in RCC through development of biomarkers and deeper biological understanding of tumor evolution, the immune microenvironment, and treatment response. We study RCC across disease stages - from localized disease to metastatic cancer - with a strong emphasis on translational research and clinical implementation.

Key areas of research include:

• Circulating  tumor DNA (ctDNA) for early relapse  detection, disease monitoring, and treatment response assessment
• T- and  B-cell receptor profiling (TCR/BCR) to understand systemic and tumor-associated adaptive immune responses
• Spatial  transcriptomics to resolve the cellular  architecture of RCC and identify spatially organized tumor–immune  interactions
• Tumor  and gut microbiome analyses to  explore how microbial communities may shape tumor biology and     immunotherapy response
• Epigenetic  and multi-omic biomarker discovery to  improve prognostication and precision medicine in RCC

Our overall aim is to identify biologically informed markers that can support earlier detection of recurrence, better treatment selection, and more precise follow-up ofpatients with RCC.

Research Projects

RESTART

Harnessing the molecular landscape to improve renal cancer patient management

RESTART focuses on identifying biomarkers that can improve treatment stratification in RCC, particularly in relation to immunotherapy. Although immunotherapy is now a cornerstone of treatment for metastatic RCC, only a subset of patients derive durable benefit. We therefore investigate molecular and immunological features of tumors and blood samples to better understand why some patients respond while others do not.

The project integrates tumor profiling, immune analyses, and blood-based biomarkers to identify markers associated with treatment benefit and outcome.

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IMMUNCIRC

IMMUNCIRC investigates the role of the adaptive immune system and circulating biomarkers in immunotherapy response.

In this project, we analyze T-cell and B-cell receptor repertoires, circulating tumor DNA, and immune-related biomarkers in blood samples collected longitudinally during treatment. The goal is to better understand systemic immune dynamics during therapy and to identify biomarkers that may help predict and monitor immunotherapy response in metastatic RCC.

The project also includes investigation of the gut microbiome and its possible association with treatment outcome.

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MIRACLE

MIRACLE exploresthe role of the tumor and gut microbiome in RCC.

While RCC is considered an immune-responsive cancer, the microbial component of the disease remains poorly understood. This project investigates whether microbial signatures in tumor tissue and the gut are associated with tumorigenesis, tumorimmune composition, treatment response, and clinical outcome.

The aim is to determine whether microbiome-related features may contribute to biologicalunderstanding of RCC and potentially serve as biomarkers for treatment stratification.

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Biobanks and clinical infrastructure

A major strengthof the group is the close integration of molecular research with clinical cohorts and prospective sample collection.

We have established KIDNEY-PAGER, a prospective longitudinal biobank including blood, urine, tissue, and clinical data from RCC patients undergoing nephrectomy at Aarhus University Hospital. This platform supports biomarker discovery and translational studies across localized and metastatic disease.

We also contribute to biomarker and translational studies linked to the NORDIC-SUN trial and other national RCC efforts.

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Aim of Research

Our research iscentered on personalized medicine in renal cancer.

We aim to improveoutcomes for patients with RCC by identifying markers that can:

• predict treatment response
• detect relapse earlier
• refine prognosis and risk stratification
• improve  biological understanding of tumor–immune–microbiome interactions

We pursue this through integrated analyses of tumor tissue, blood, urine, and fecal swabs, using both established and emerging molecular technologies.

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