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Oncode Accelerator Congratulates Researchers from Our Coordinating Partner Institutes on Grant from KWF
KWF Kankerbestrijding (Dutch Cancer Society), the largest cancer-focused charity in the Netherlands has granted 39 million euros to several research projects that aim to better understand and treat different cancer indications.
Part of the funding, just over 4 million euros, has been granted to fund the research of the TIL-TEC team, led by Tom Seijkens, medical oncologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, one of the coordinating partner institutes of Oncode Accelerator. This funding specifically was made possible by participants of the Alpe d’HuZes, an annual fundraising sporting event.
Co-applicants of the grant application from the Netherlands Cancer Institute included Inge Jedema and John Haanen, who are part of the executive board of the Oncode Accelerator Workstream for Cell and Gene Therapy, and Sebastian Klobuch, as well as Rob Kessels from the UMC Utrecht. Rob Kessels furthermore focuses on developing and implementing innovative (early-phase) adaptive clinical trials within the well-defined Patient Cohort Platform at Oncode Accelerator.
Together with Hilde Jalving, Liesbeth de Vries, Adrienne Brouwers and Marjolijn Lub- de Hooge from UMC Groningen, Bastiaan Nuijen (also part of the Cell and Gene Therapy Workstream executive board) and Cynthia Nijenhuis who are both from the Bio Therapeutics Unit of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, the focus of the researchers of the TIL-TEC study will be on advancing TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) therapy, a promising cancer treatment.
In this approach, isolated immune cells (TIL cells) from a removed tumor are grown in a GMP manufacturing facility into billions of cells and then reintroduced into the patient to target and destroy tumor cells. TIL therapy has shown significant success in treating melanoma and lung cancer.
However, a key component of this therapy involves using interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) to activate TIL cells, which causes side effects that make the treatment unsuitable for older or more vulnerable patients. The TIL-TEC study aims to address this by developing a specialized TIL product for endometrial cancer (called EC-TIL) combined with a non-toxic alternative to rhIL-2. This combination reduces side effects, making the therapy safer for a broader patient population.
A unique element of the study is the collaboration across institutes and expertise. The study for instance also incorporates advanced imaging techniques, such as immuno-PET-CT scans, to monitor how EC-TIL behaves in the body. Through this multidisciplinary approach cutting-edge imaging techniques, translational research, production of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) and clinical application are integrated. Eventually, the aim is to make the treatment more tolerable and suitable for vulnerable endometrial cancer patients, hence offering a new option for those with limited alternatives and poor outcomes. Additionally, the approach has the potential to improve TIL therapy for other cancers, like lung cancer and melanoma, by reducing side effects.
This grant awarding underscores the value of collaborative efforts in driving innovation in cancer research. Oncode Accelerator congratulates the researchers involved and looks forward to the groundbreaking developments this funding will enable.
Read the announcement from the Netherlands Cancer Institute:
More information on all projects which received a grant from KWF can be read here (in Dutch).