"Mesothelioma, a cancer type related to asbestos, still occurs too often. Every year, around 31,000 people are diagnosed with this cancer type. The Netherlands implemented strict regulations on the use of asbestos, but countries including China and India still widely produce and use asbestos in construction and insulation materials. We unfortunately have very few therapies available to treat mesothelioma, and the ones that exist are only partially effective. Using genetic and drug screening techniques, I investigated potential combination treatments—medications that may not work sufficiently on their own, but that might make a difference when combined. I tested these combinations in cell and mouse models. The good news is that I did find a few new combinations that seem to work in the lab. The next step is to test these in clinical trials, but that will take some time. One time, a mother with mesothelioma visited us in the lab with her daughter. The daughter had raised money to support our research, and she got to see what her efforts were helping to achieve.”
Nick Landman will defend his thesis on October 23.
Research at the Netherlands Cancer Institute is financially supported by KWF Dutch Cancer Society.
prof. dr. M.M.S. van Lohuizen
dr. J. Badhai