Could tiny molecules from your gut decide whether cancer treatment works? New research suggests they just might.

How can scientists unlock gene regulation secrets in our DNA? At the Oncode Masterclass, researchers explored ATAC-seq to study chromatin accessibility.

Could timing chemo with the menstrual cycle improve breast cancer treatment? That’s the bold question Oncode Researcher Laura Bornes was addressing during her PhD. 

Scientists have uncovered a hidden “histone supply chain” weakness that could re-sensitize even drug-resistant cancers to treatment, opening a new path to outsmart tumor resistance.

Researchers have discovered that RNA helps untie dangerous DNA “knots,” revealing a surprising new safeguard that keeps our genome stable and cancer at bay.

A new study conducted by Oncode Investigator Jan Hoeijmakers (Princess Máxima Center and Erasmus MC) and Oncode Researcher Wilbert Vermeij (Princess Máxima Center) shows that a brief period of fasting prior to cancer treatment appears to be safe and feasible for children.

Oncode Institute is proud to congratulate Oncode Investigator Sjoerd van der Burg (Leiden University Medical Center & Oncode Institute) on receiving the 2025 Pedro J. Romero Service to JITC Award. 

A new collaborative study from the labs of Oncode Investigators reveals a previously unknown pair of proteins that play a vital role in how cells read their genetic code.

Researchers from Oncode Institute have developed a promising method for identifying tumor markers, which could enhance early tumor detection and cancer treatment monitoring. This highlights the significance of patient interaction as an asset for researchers’ motivation. 

Why does immunotherapy, despite its promise, often fail to eliminate all cancer cells? A new study from the lab of Oncode Investigator Emile Voest, at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the Francis Crick Institute and University College London, offers an important clue.

A new study has revealed a hidden vulnerability in around half of all cancers - offering fresh hope for developing smarter, more effective treatments. 

The Oncode Institute Annual Meeting 2025, held on June 26–27 at De Rijtuigenloods in Amersfoort, brought together over 300 participants each day for two dynamic days of science, collaboration, and inspiration.

In 2024, Oncode Institute demonstrated how fundamental scientific research can have a direct impact on both patients and society. The urgency remains high, but this year we once again proved that our approach works. 

Thijn Brummelkamp, Oncode Investigator and Scientific Director at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, will be awarded the prestigious Spinoza Prize, a very high distinction in Dutch academia. With this recognition, Brummelkamp becomes the seventh Oncode Investigator to receive this honour.

A kind soul with an original mind. 

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Theo Theunissen, a valued member of Oncode Institute’s Patient Perspective Programme. Theo brought a rare combination of lived experience, technical insight, and philosophical reflection to his role as patient representative.

Under the motto “We’re climbing the mountain for cancer research,” our scientists, staff, partners, and supporters joined forces not just to ascend a peak, but to move science, and hope, forward. This year, our commitment took a powerful form, as 18 Oncode teams took on the legendary Alpe d’Huez in France during Alpe d’HuZes 2025.