Rate My Professor Mikkel Terp

Mikkel Green Terp is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Southern Denmark, where he heads the Cancer and Inflammation Research group within the Cancer Unit. His research investigates the interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment that regulate tumor progression and therapy responses. Terp focuses on the role of the tumor microenvironment in therapy resistance, particularly the contributions of inflammatory cells including neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages. He utilizes mouse models to study resistance to targeted cancer treatments, with emphasis on lung and breast cancers. His methodologies encompass in vivo and in vitro cancer models, flow cytometry, sequencing, and proteomics. Terp collaborates closely with researchers such as Professor Henrik Ditzel, Professor Morten Gjerstorff, Associate Professor Rasmus Siersbaek, Clinical Associate Professor Tina Green, Associate Professor Jonathan Brewer, and Professor Grith Lykke Sørensen at SDU. His research has been supported by grants from organizations including Kræftens Bekæmpelse, Fonden til lægevidenskabens Fremme, Neye Fonden, Carlsberg Fondet, Dagmar Marshalls Fonde, and Agnes og Poul Friis Fond.

Terp has made significant contributions to cancer research through high-impact publications. Key works include "Neutrophil extracellular traps formed during chemotherapy confer treatment resistance via TGF-β activation" (Cancer Cell, 2023), "Increased cholesterol biosynthesis is a key characteristic of breast cancer stem cells influencing patient outcome" (Cell Reports, 2019), "Co-targeting CDK4/6 and AKT with endocrine therapy prevents progression in CDK4/6 inhibitor and endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer" (Nature Communications, 2021), "Dual PI3K/mTOR inhibition is required to combat resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitor and endocrine therapy in PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer" (Science Translational Medicine, 2025), and "Stochastic demethylation and redundant epigenetic suppressive mechanisms generate highly heterogeneous responses to pharmacological DNA methyltransferase inhibition" (Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 2025). He received research grants in 2011 and 2012, and served as a visiting researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences from December 6 to 16, 2011. Terp also leads courses such as Mechanisms and methods of basic cancer biology for PhD students.