Albano Cáceres Verschae

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in Hildur Helgadottir’s lab at Karolinska Institutet, specializing in translational oncology and extracellular vesicle (EV)-based biomarker discovery. With a PhD in Biomedicine, my work focuses on identifying non-invasive biomarkers to improve early cancer detection and refine prognostic assessment, particularly in malignant melanoma. I investigate EV-associated markers linked to treatment response to support tailored therapeutic strategies, aiming to advance precision oncology through molecular and cell biology expertise.

Active Projects  

  PROMMEL: EV-Proteomic Profiling in Advanced Melanoma

This project investigates the proteomic cargo of systemic extracellular vesicles within the Phase II PROMMEL study. The objective is to identify predictive biomarkers for Stage IV melanoma patients who may benefit from Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) after progressing on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (ICI) therapy. 

  BIOMELANOM: Real-World Evidence and Biomarker Identification

This study evaluates the efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI) by leveraging real-world data from Stage III and IV melanoma patients. The research focuses on identifying circulating biomarkers and correlating them with specific clinical outcomes to enhance patient stratification and therapeutic monitoring in routine oncological practice.

  ICAM-1 and Sarcoma: Mechanisms of Adaptive Resistance

This research examines how therapeutic stress, such as radiotherapy and EZH2 inhibition, triggers the reprogramming of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (tEVs) in sarcomas. We investigate how these modified vesicles facilitate immune escape by disrupting standard ICAM-1 mediated T-cell recognition. Grant recipient by Oncology-Pathology department's Blue Sky Grant 2026

Translational Oncology: Development of EV-based liquid biopsies for clinical application.

Melanoma: Investigating molecular drivers of progression and therapeutic resistance.

Precision Medicine: Identifying biomarkers to predict and monitor response to immunotherapy and radiotherapy.

Extracellular Vesicle Biology: Characterizing vesicles in the systemic circulation.