Post by Prinses Máxima Centrum voor kinderoncologie

Marjolein Kes has identified new therapeutic targets for the treatment of rhabdoid tumors (MRT). In the laboratory, Kes found that inhibiting the production of DNA building blocks slows the division of tumor cells and can even cause them to disappear. These findings form the basis for the development of a new clinical study. Yesterday, she received her PhD from Utrecht University. An important component of Marjolein Kes’s PhD research focused on developing and applying methods to study the metabolism of childhood cancer cells in detail. This approach enabled her to track how tumor cells take up and utilize nutrients to support growth. As a next step following Kes’s findings, an international clinical study is set up. This study will investigate whether gemcitabine, which acts on the same metabolic process identified during her laboratory research, can be effective for children with a rhabdoid tumor. Stichting Kinderen Kankervrij (KiKa), Universiteit Utrecht