Fourteen research teams can start their research thanks to KWF Dutch Cancer Society

12-12-2024

Fourteen research teams from the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), are starting new projects thanks to financial support from KWF Dutch Cancer Society. These projects are very diverse, including the development of a smart needle that can detect cancer cells during tissue examination, and research into a hormone that plays a role in the circadian rhythm and helps tumors survive after treatment. Additionally, we are working on developing a test to detect cognitive problems in cancer patients at an early stage.

Smart measurement

Researchers and doctors are using advanced measurement technologies to enable early and rapid diagnoses. This ensures that patients receive the right treatment more quickly. Thanks to funding from KWF, Sanne Schagen and her team will investigate how often people who have (or have had) cancer experience concentration and memory problems. They are developing a smart online test to identify these issues quickly and accurately, allowing patients to receive the right care. Another tool is the smart biopsy needle being developed by the research group of surgeon Theo Ruers. This needle contains advanced technology and must be able to show whether malignant cells are present in the tissue after sampling. Senior researcher Behdad Dasht Bozorg is developing an innovative, portable device for detecting skin cancer. This device combines artificial intelligence with hyperspectral imaging, a technology that collects information about the electromagnetic spectrum, to detect skin cancer early and reduce unnecessary tissue sampling.

Immunotherapy

KWF is also investing in further development of immunotherapy. Daniel Peeper and his team will investigate tthe properties of tumor-reactive CD8 T-cells. These cells, found in tumors, play a crucial role in immunotherapy. The goal is to better understand their function and potential clinical applications.

Rik Lindeboom and his research group will focus on proteins in tumors. They aim to predict which proteins are most suitable for immunotherapy treatments and map these proteins in rare cancers. Gynecological oncologist Frédéric Amant and his team, he will work on a new treatment for leiomyosarcomas (LMS), a rare and aggressive form of cancer in muscle tissue. TTheir approach combines checkpoint inhibitors with a targeted therapy that blocks a specific process in cancer cells, aiming to improve treatment effectiveness.

A major project by internist-oncologist Tom Seijkens focuses on the TIL-TEC study which explores a new form of TIL therapy for uterine cancer. This therapy involves growing the patient’s own immune cells in the lab to treat the tumor. This improved TIL product, combined with a non-toxic agent, makes the treatment more tolerable and suitable for vulnerable patients compared to earlier TIL therapies.

Support for fundamental and clinical research

In addition to these promising projects, grants have also been awarded for fundamental research. For example, the research by Heinz Jacobs’ team into diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This is the most common form of lymph node cancer in the Netherlands, with 1,200 new cases per year. Although sixty percent of patients are cured with the standard treatment, it does not always work, or the cancer returns. The group discovered that inhibiting the proteins DOT1L and EZH2 can stop the growth of lymphoma cells and is now investigating whether combining these inhibitors with other treatments can improve effectiveness.

De-escalation in melanoma treatment

Another study that can start is the NORMA trial, in which surgeon Yvonne Schrage collaborates with 16 other centers in the Netherlands. They will investigate whether re-exicion can be safely foregone in melanoma treatment. To minimize the odds of recurrence, we tend to perform a re-exicion: the removal of a healthy section of skin to remove any tumor cells that may have been present. But these cells are rarely found in the tissue, while many patients experience bad complications from their wounds, lowering their quality of life, work participation, and high health care cost. Whether re-exicion truly lowers the risk of recurrence or improves survival rates has never been investigated before.

In total, KWF is funding over 14 million euros for the research projects at the NKI. The research groups of Thijn Brummelkamp, Katrien Berns, Wilbert Zwart, Michiel Vermeulen and Gabe Sonke also receive funding for their projects. Four of the awarded projects are made possible by Alpe d'HuZes, namely those of Tom Seijkens, Rik Lindeboom, Michiel Vermeulen, and Frédéric Amant.

Overview of new research projects of the NKI funded by KWF Dutch Cancer Society and Alpe d’Huzes

Research project	Projectleader	Funding partner	Amount
Epigenome and metabolome in the fight against diffuse large B-cell lymphoma	Heinz Jacobs	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€ 921.923,00
Unraveling the molecular mechanisms involved in colorectal cancer driven by SMAD4 mutations	Michiel Vermeulen	Alpe d’Huzes	€ 749.191,00
Shedding new light on treatment-resistant prostate cancer: circadian rhythm-regulating proteins as therapeutic targets?	Wilbert Zwart	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€ 762.288,00
Targeted treatment of low-grade and mucinous ovarian cancer	Katrien Berns	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€ 588.264,00
Overcoming resistance to anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitors in leiomyosarcomas: the role of PI3K/mTOR-induced immunomodulation in the tumor microenvironment	Frédéric Amant	Alpe d’Huzes	€ 854.325,66
T-cell clusters from clinical samples enriched for anti-tumor reactivity: detailed characterization and preclinical exploration	Daniel Peeper	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€ 994.760,00
The role of a new triglyceride synthesis pathway in cancer	Thijn Brummelkamp	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€ 894.404,00
Deciphering the numbers behind tumor antigen presentation	Rik Lindeboom	Alpe d’Huzes	€ 727.460,26
A new smart approach to detect cognitive problems in people with cancer	Sanne Schagen	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€ 1.234.435,00
A smart biopsy needle: bringing cancer diagnosis closer to home	Theo Ruers	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€ 1.465.105,00
SpectraSkin: innovation in early skin cancer detection with mobile hyperspectral technology and AI	Behdad Dasht Bozorg	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€ 590.718,60
The development of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) therapy for uterine cancer: the TIL-TEC study	Tom Seijkens	Alpe d’Huzes	€ 4.155.869,50
MED-ACT: Master protocol for evaluation of optimized cancer treatments	Gabe Sonke	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€773,296.35
NORMA randomized trial; de-escalation in melanoma treatment (NO Re-excision in MelanomA)	Yvonne Schrage	KWF Kankerbestrijding	€1,700,00.00

Fourteen research teams can start their research thanks to KWF Dutch Cancer Society

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