Lara Barazzuol will carry out in close collaboration with fellow researchers Marcel van Vugt and Rob Coppes. Together, they will contribute to and coordinate the UMCG role within the nationwide IMMUNO-PROT consortium.
The project brings together all Dutch proton therapy centres: UMCG, Erasmus MC and Holland Proton Therapy Centre (Holland PTC) in Delft, and Maastricht UMC+ in close collaboration with ZON PTC Maastro Clinic. The consortium is further strengthened by leading expertise in cancer immunology from Radboudumc.
Head and neck cancer is a life-threatening disease with a major impact on patients’ lives. Two promising treatment options are proton therapy, a highly precise form of radiotherapy that can better spare healthy tissue, and immunotherapy, which helps the patient’s own immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells. Although both therapies are increasingly used in clinical practice, treatment outcomes vary and little is known about how the two approaches influence one another or how they can best be combined.
IMMUNO-PROT is a consortium aiming to build the evidence base for optimised proton therapy–immunotherapy combinations in head and neck cancer. The research focuses on three interconnected areas. First, the team will identify key molecular and immunological targets involved in proton-therapy-induced inflammation. Second, the project will examine how proton therapy affects the interactions between the immune system, the tumour and surrounding healthy tissue. Third, researchers will develop and test improved irradiation strategies in pre-clinical models, with the aim of enhancing tumour control while reducing toxicity.
By gaining a deeper understanding of how proton therapy and immunotherapy interact, the project seeks to optimise their combined use. This approach has the potential to make treatments more effective against tumours while limiting unwanted side effects.
By developing new, clinically applicable treatment strategies, the project ultimately aims to improve not only survival outcomes, but also the quality of life for patients with head and neck cancer. Building on earlier collaborations within the KWF-funded INTO-PROT consortium, IMMUNO-PROT marks an important step towards more personalised and better tolerated cancer care.
