Oncode researchers Johanna Veldman and Krijn Dijkstra (both NKI) have been awarded a Veni grant from NWO/ZonMw to develop their own lines of research. Veldman aims to simplify and enhance immunotherapy with her research, and Dijkstra’s goal is to discover how cancer cells communicate with their environment to enable a new form of immunotherapy. Only 26 out of 253 applications were granted within the domain of ZonMw.
Detecting tumor-specific T cells
Immunotherapy is a promising cancer treatment in which immune cells from the patients themselves are activated. One such approach is T cell receptor (TCR) therapy, which modifies T cells from the blood to better recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, identifying the right TCRs is difficult and the required tests are expensive and labor-intensive. Johanna Veldman would like to simplify and improve this process.
After completing her doctoral research at the University of Groningen, Veldman started as a postdoctoral fellow in Oncode Investigator Daniel Peeper's group in 2021. Her research focuses on better understanding the interaction between T cells and tumor cells to find better treatment strategies.
"In my research, I found a specific group of T cells within the tumor that exhibit strong anti-tumor activity. With the Veni grant, I aim to identify the specific TCRs of these T cells in the coming years so we can optimize treatment" says Veldman.
How cancer cells mislead the immune system
The immune system comprises various cells that that must communicate effectively to control cancer. However, cancer cells employ numerous tricks to evade the immune system, including releasing molecules that influence immune cells. " We still have limited knowledge about these molecules and how they function. Thanks to this grant, I can start identifying these molecules with the aim of enabling a new form of immunotherapy" says Dijkstra.
Krijn Dijkstra conducted his doctoral research at the NKI and furthered his studies at the Francis Crick Institute in London. He currently works in Oncode Investigator Emile Voest's group at NKI, investigating how tumors evade the immune system and how different immune cells and cancer cells communicate with each other.
Veni grants
The Veni grant is a personal scientific subsidy, part of the NWO Talent Programme, targeted at recently graduated researchers. This year, 188 promising researchers from diverse fields of science were awarded Veni funding, with a maximum grant of €280,000. The laureates will use this funding to further develop their own research ideas over the next three years.