Marta awarded prestigious NWO Vidi grant

We are pleased to announce that Marta has been awarded a prestigious Vidi grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The grant, providing up to €850,000 over five years, will support her SHIELD project, which aims to develop effective cancer immunotherapies while preserving the immune system's ability to protect patients against viral infections.

Advancing cancer immunotherapy to preserve protective immunity against infections

Immunotherapy uses our body’s natural immune response to fight cancer. However, current cancer immunotherapies deplete certain immune cells that protect the body against viruses. As a result, half of the patients treated with T-cell engagers, a specific form of immune redirecting therapy, develop life-threatening infections.

In SHIELD, Marta will develop cancer therapies that activate various types of immune cells continuously produced in our bodies, while maintaining virus control. “We will develop a strategy to identify which patients are at risk of severe, long-lasting infections, and the biological reasons behind it.”

To test the effectiveness of this approach, Marta and her team will develop a culture model with patient cells. “Our goal is to develop effective anti-cancer immunotherapies that keep patients able to clear infections fast, which could make a real difference to their quality of life.”

Congratulations to Marta on this achievement, and looking forward to the next steps of the SHIELD project!