For solid cancers, the program aims to overcome unique the challenges posed by the tumor microenvironment by exploring immune checkpoint inhibition strategies, enhancing cellular therapies, and investigating the immune-modulating effects of radiotherapy. These efforts include advancing preventative and therapeutic cancer vaccines to improve outcomes and expand treatment options for solid tumor patients.
The Onco-Immunology program focuses on the following key research areas:
We aim to further implement in-house production of CAR and other cellular therapeutics for patients at UMCG and other Dutch academic centers, as well as improve cellular therapies for hematological cancers by advancing foundational and translational studies. These efforts focus on refining CAR and other cell-based therapeutics to extend their accessibility and efficacy for a broader patient population. We improve immunotherapy for patients with solid tumors through therapeutic vaccines and immune checkpoint blockade with standard-of-care treatment, with insights from these trials guiding the development of novel combination therapies. By combining human tumor studies with model systems, we establish causal relationships and refine treatment strategies. Our work benefits from collaborations in pathology, genomics, and machine-learning-driven immune analysis.
University Medical Center Groningen
Research Institute MoHAD
Hanzeplein 1
9713 GZ Groningen
The Netherlands
