ZonMW grant for immune system research

Together with fellow researcher Ramon Arens (LUMC), Kristina Ganzinger (AMOLF/Oncode Institute) has received a ZonMw Open Competition grant amounting 800 k€ for research on the immune system. Kristina explains: “By linking fundamental discoveries to practical applications, we hope that this research can contribute to more effective immunotherapies and improved survival outcomes for a larger number of patients.”

Artist impression of an immune cell and tumor cell. Credits: Shutterstock

Immunotherapy challenges

Immunotherapy uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer by activating T cells. Current treatments work well for some patients, but many people do not experience long-lasting effects. T cells require multiple ‘switches’, known as costimulatory receptors, to fully activate and survive. How these receptors work together is still poorly understood, which hinders the development of more effective therapies.

When 1 plus 1 is more than 2

In the project “When 1 plus 1 is more than 2”, Kristina and Ramon will investigate how different costimulatory receptors cooperate to enhance T cell function. Using advanced imaging, molecular profiling, and specially engineered T cells, they will study these interactions in detail. This knowledge will then be used to improve adoptive T cell therapies, such as CAR-T cells and patient-specific adoptive T cell transfers, and test whether certain combinations of signals increase their effectiveness.

Learn more

Read more about immune system research in the Physics of Cellular Interactions group led by Kristina Ganzinger

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