Rhabdoid tumors lack a critical gene, which causes a disruption in cell growth and an uncontrolled division of cancer cells. While we know that this missing gene is responsible for the loss of control over cell division, scientists still don't fully understand the inner workings of this process.
The team, led by Elzo de Wit (NKI) and Jarno Drost (Princess Máxima Center), aims to further unravel this mechanism. By gaining a deeper understanding of the way these aggressive tumors develop, they hope to find new treatment options that could improve survival rates for children with rhabdoid tumors.
“The collaboration with Jarno Drost has provided new insights into the way epigenetics contributes to tumor growth. It’s wonderful that we can continue this important research thanks to KiKa,” De Wit says.
Nearly 600 children in the Netherlands are diagnosed with cancer every year. With 81% of these children surviving the condition nowadays, we face a reality in which one child dies from cancer every three days. Three-quarters of the survivors of childhood cancer still face long-term consequences of their treatment, including cognitive issues, an increased risk of developing new cancers, or infertility.