Funded Programmes

THE LATEST FUNDING NEWS IN Sweden

To view all of the programmes being funded by the Movember Foundation, please see our Report Cards section. (English only)


Prostate Cancer Breakthrough, November 2014

Research funded by the Movember Foundation has resulted in a scientific breakthrough with significant implications for men with prostate cancer. The research project, led by Professor Robert Bristow in Toronto, Canada, has found that men have a genetic “signature” that will identify prostate cancer patients who are at high risk of their cancer returning after primary treatment, such as surgery or radiotherapy. A new test will allow men to be offered a more personalised treatment plan, avoid unnecessary treatments and side effects, and will increase chances of survival.

The team was funded primarily by the Movember Foundation with a grant of CAD $15 million, which is largest donation we have made to a single research project. The findings have been published this month in the Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals, and the research team will now work with institutions across the globe to validate the test over the next 2-3 years.

  • Click here to watch the video of Professor Robert Bristow (English only).
  • Click here to learn more about prostate cancer

Funds in Action: Professor Anders Bjartell

Here, Movember funded researcher Professor Anders Bjartell explains how his work is making a difference here in Sweden.



Read all about it: Movember’s global action plan news

By bringing together more than 250 of the world's top prostate and testicular cancer researchers, the Global Action Plan (GAP) facilitates a new and unprecedented level of global research collaboration, not previously seen within the cancer community.



Meet Dr Marie Lundholm

OCCUPATION: Prostate Cancer Researcher
TITLE: PhD
LOCATION: Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Sweden
PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH SPAN: 3 Years
FAVORITE MO: Einstein


1. You’ve dedicated your time and expertise to the research field… what’s your motivation for this?
My background is immunology and I recently started working with prostate cancer. I decided to work with prostate cancer because it is a major health problem. Every year, nearly 10,000 Swedish men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and around 25% of them will die from their disease. Current methods to diagnose and treat aggressive prostate cancer are unacceptably poor and insufficient. Here at Umeå University we have good collaboration between pre-clinical and clinical researchers that provides an enormous advantage in using a combination of cell and human studies. I believe my expertise will contribute with new knowledge that hopefully will improve prognosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

2. How does your work as part of Movember’s GAP initiative push the limits of research in prostate cancer?
Movember's Global action plan (GAP) has initiated exciting collaborations among researchers around the world having a common goal. Sharing of knowledge and ideas should define and validate the most important research findings. In this way, hopefully the results will be rapidly translated into the clinic improving the patient’s outcome.

3. What does your project mean to a man living with prostate cancer?
Our research aim within this unique Movember GAP global collaboration project is to find reliable biomarkers in very small vesicles (exosomes) from blood that can predict therapy responses. If successful, we hope that it can be translated into the clinic to benefit personalized therapy, thereby improving the quality of life for men living with prostate cancer.

4. What has Movember’s funding through GAP allowed you to do that would not have otherwise been possible?
Movember’s funding through GAP has established a broad contact network with researchers within the exosome field. Having different expertise and techniques between laboratories worldwide and the opportunity to analyse and cross validate findings makes it possible for the development of new prognostic tests and therapeutic strategies combined with optimal therapy for the individual patient.

5. Do you have a message for all the Mo Bros and Mo Sistas around the world?
Thank you Mo Bros and Mo Sistas for making prostate cancer research improved and possible!