Karin H Franzén
Title: Senior Lecturer School/office: School of Medical SciencesEmail: karin.h.franzen@oru.se
Phone: +46 19 301408
Room: X2110
About Karin H Franzén
Karin H Franzén is Associate Professor (docent) in Medical Sciences with specialization Biomedicine. She works as Senior Lecturer and is employed at Örebro University since 2008. She defended her PhD thesis about molecular genetic aspects on colorectal cancer at Linköping University in 2005. Karin H Franzén’s research focus is mainly inflammation in atherosclerosis.
Research
Karin H Franzén’s research is mainly focused on inflammation in atherosclerosis and genetic risk factors. Inflammation in the blood vessels is one of the hallmarks of atherosclerosis. Her research focus is mainly IL-β, which is produced by the NLRP3 inflammasome, but also on CARD8, which has been identified as an important regulator for inflammation in vascular cells. Studies on molecules involved in cardiovascular diseases may in the future lead to the development of novel tailored treatment options and Karin H Franzéns research is also focused on evaluation of new treatment strategies against inflammatory targets in atherosclerosis.
Karin H Franzén is affiliated to the research environment Cardiovascular Research Centre (CVRC) at Örebro University, where she is supervisor for post docs and has been main supervisor for one PhD student to dissertation and co-supervisor to four PhD students.
Lecturing
Karin H Franzén is mainly lecturing in biomedicine, with an emphasis on molecular genetics and tumor biology at the Medical program at Örebro University, but also at second and third cycle courses. She has a solid experience as course coordinator at advanced and doctoral levels and is examiner at semester 2 in the medical program. She also supervises student theses at bachelor and master levels.
Assignments
Karin is responsible for biomedicine in the section of Reproduction and Development in the Medical program and is coordinator for the course coordinators/examinators and is a member of the Medical program board at Örebro University.
Collaborations
Karin H Franzén’s main collaborative organizations are the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF), Athens, Greece, Linköping University, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway and Karolinska Institute. In addition, Karin also has collaboration with the Swedish industrial partners Aptahem, Attgeno, BioReperia, Buzzard Pharmaceuticals, Cantargia, Lipum, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Toleranzia.
Research projects
Active projects
- Role of CARD8 for inflammation in vascular cells
- Role of NLRP3 inflammasome and interleukin-1 (IL-1) in cardiovascular disease
- Role of zinc finger proteins in cardiovascular diseases and cancer
- Genetic variations in genes associated with inflammation and predisposition for altered biomarker profiles
- Inflammation and cardiovascular diseases
Research teams
Publications
Articles in journals
- Fransén, K. , Pettersson, C. & Hurtig-Wennlöf, A. (2022). CRP levels are significantly associated with CRP genotype and estrogen use in The Lifestyle, Biomarker and Atherosclerosis (LBA) study. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 22 (1).
- Paramel Varghese, G. , Lindkvist, M. , Idosa, B. A. , Sebina, L. S. , Kardeby, C. , Fotopoulou, T. , Pournara, D. , Kritsi, E. & et al. (2022). Novel purine analogues regulate IL-1β release via inhibition of JAK activity in human aortic smooth muscle cells. European Journal of Pharmacology, 929.
- Paramel Varghese, G. , Karadimou, G. , Göthlin Eremo, A. , Ljungberg, L. , Hedin, U. , Olofsson, P. S. , Folkersen, L. , Paulsson Berne, G. & et al. (2020). Expression of CARD8 in human atherosclerosis and its regulation of inflammatory proteins in human endothelial cells. Scientific Reports, 10 (1).
- Kardeby, C. , Paramel Varghese, G. , Pournara, D. , Fotopoulou, T. , Sirsjö, A. , Koufaki, M. , Fransén, K. & Grenegård, M. (2019). A novel purine analogue bearing nitrate ester prevents platelet activation by ROCK activity inhibition. European Journal of Pharmacology, 857.
- Paramel Varghese, G. , Folkersen, L. , Strawbridge, R. J. , Halvorsen, B. , Yndestad, A. , Ranheim, T. , Krohg-Sørensen, K. , Skjelland, M. & et al. (2016). NLRP3 Inflammasome Expression and Activation in Human Atherosclerosis. Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease, 5 (5).
- Göthlin Eremo, A. , Tina, E. , Wegman, P. , Stål, O. , Fransén, K. , Fornander, T. & Wingren, S. (2015). HER4 tumor expression in breast cancer patients randomized to treatment with or without tamoxifen. International Journal of Oncology, 47 (4), 1311-1320.
- Paramel, G. , Uporova, L. , Halfvarson, J. , Sirsjö, A. & Fransén, K. (2015). Polymorphism in the NLRP3 inflammasome-associated EIF2AK2 gene and inflammatory bowel disease. Molecular Medicine Reports, 11 (6), 4579-4584.
- Paramel, G. , Sirsjö, A. & Fransén, K. (2015). Role of genetic alterations in the NLRP3 and CARD8 genes in health and disease. Mediators of Inflammation.
- Paramel, G. , Folkersen, L. , Strawbridge, R. J. , Elmabsout, A. , Särndahl, E. , Lundman, P. , Jansson, J. , Hansson, G. K. & et al. (2013). CARD8 gene encoding a protein of innate immunity is expressed in human atherosclerosis and associated with markers of inflammation. Clinical Science, 125 (8), 401-407.
- Sahdo, B. , Fransén, K. , Asfaw Idosa, B. , Eriksson, P. , Söderquist, B. , Kelly, A. & Särndahl, E. (2013). Cytokine profile in a cohort of healthy blood donors carrying polymorphisms in genes encoding the NLRP3 inflammasome. PLOS ONE, 8 (10).
- Fransén, K. , Franzén, P. , Magnuson, A. , Elmabsout, A. , Nyhlin, N. , Wickbom, A. , Curman, B. , Törkvist, L. & et al. (2013). Polymorphism in the retinoic acid metabolizing enzyme CYP26B1 and the development of Crohn's disease. PLOS ONE, 8 (8), e72739.
- Paramel, G. , Fransén, K. , Hurtig-Wennlöf, A. , Bengtsson, T. , Jansson, J. & Sirsjö, A. (2013). Q705K variant in NLRP3 gene confers protection against myocardial infarction in female individuals. Biomedical Reports, 1 (6), 879-882.
- Ungerbäck, J. , Belenki, D. , Jawas ul-Hassan, A. , Fredrikson, M. , Fransén, K. , Elander, N. , Verma, D. & Söderkvist, P. (2012). Genetic variation and alterations of genes involved in NFκB/TNFAIP3- and NLRP3-inflammasome signaling affect susceptibility and outcome of colorectal cancer. Carcinogenesis, 33 (11), 2126-2134.
- Nixon Tangi, T. , Elmabsout, A. A. , Bengtsson, T. , Sirsjö, A. & Fransén, K. (2012). Role of NLRP3 and CARD8 in the regulation of TNF-α induced IL-1β release in vascular smooth muscle cells. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 30 (3), 697-702.
- Fransén, K. , Fenech, M. , Fredrikson, M. , Dabrosin, C. & Söderkvist, P. (2006). Association between ulcerative growth and hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha polymorphisms in colorectal cancer patients. Molecular Carcinogenesis, 45 (11), 833-840.
- Elander, N. , Söderkvist, P. & Fransén, K. (2006). Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -1, -2, -3 and -9 promoter polymorphisms in colorectal cancer. Anticancer Research, 26 (1B), 791-795.
- Grahn, N. , Hmani-Aifa, M. , Fransén, K. , Söderkvist, P. & Monstein, H. (2005). Molecular identification of Helicobacter DNA present in human colorectal adenocarcinomas by 16S rDNA PCR amplification and pyrosequencing analysis. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 54 (11), 1031-1035.
- Fransén, K. , Elander, N. & Söderkvist, P. (2005). Nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) promoter polymorphisms in colorectal cancer. Cancer Letters, 225 (1), 99-103.
- Fransén, K. , Klintenäs, M. , Österström, A. , Dimberg, J. , Monstein, H. & Söderkvist, P. (2004). Mutation analysis of the BRAF, ARAF and RAF-1 genes in human colorectal adenocarcinomas. Carcinogenesis, 25 (4), 527-533.
- Österström, A. , Dimberg, J. , Fransén, K. & Söderkvist, P. (2002). Expression of cytosolic and group X secretory phospholipase A(2) genes in human colorectal adenocarcinomas. Cancer Letters, 182 (2), 175-182.
- Fransén, K. , Dimberg, J. , Österström, A. , Olsson, A. , Söderkvist, P. & Sirsjö, A. (2002). Nitric oxide synthase 2 mRNA expression in relation to p53 and adenomatous polyposis coli mutations in primary colorectal adenocarcinomas. Surgery, 131 (4), 384-392.
Conference papers
- Fransén, K. , Johansson, M. & Prenkert, M. (2016). Doktoranders upplevelse av nyttan med den obligatoriska forskarutbildningskursen Allmänvetenskaplig forskningsmetodik i medicinsk vetenskap vid Örebro universitet. Paper presented at NU 2016, Malmö, Sweden, June 15-17, 2016.
- Fransén, K. , Paramel Varghese, G. , Jansson, J. , Eriksson, P. & Sirsjö, A. (2016). Molecular genetic aspects of the NLRP3 inflammasome in cardiovascular disease. Paper presented at Miami Winter symposium 2016, Miami, Florida, USA, 24-27 Jan., 2016.
Manuscripts
- Göthlin Eremo, A. , Tina, E. , Kruse, R. , Fransén, K. , Wegman, P. , Repsilber, D. , Montgomery, S. , Sollie, T. & et al. Gene expression profiles in breast tumors from tamoxifen treated patients with and without distant recurrence.