TigaTx, a biotech that develops engineered IgA monoclonal antibodies as therapy for a broad range of diseases, including cancer, announced that it was awarded up to $33.5 million by the US Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, as well as $2 million from the US National Cancer Institute. TigaTx builds on antibody research from the lab of Prof. Jeanette Leusen, Professor of Antibody Therapy at UMC Utrecht and co-lead of Oncode Accelerator’s Biologics Workstream.

A series of publications have demonstrated that the human genome encodes potentially thousands of tiny proteins that were previously overlooked. As work by Sebastiaan van Heesch (Research Group Leader at the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology, Junior Investigator at Oncode Institute, group leader within Oncode Accelerator’s Therapeutic Vaccines Workstream) and others has shown, these ‘microproteins’ may also represent new cancer drug targets.

A recent publication in Nature showcases how combining AI with patient-derived organoid models can improve our understanding of tumor heterogeneity, and support development of personalized cancer therapies.

At the end of 2024, the Palace Symposium on ‘Biological Design Through Artificial Intelligence’ took place at the Royal Palace Amsterdam. Prof. Gerard van Westen, Professor of AI and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Leiden University and the lead of Oncode Accelerator’s Artificial Intelligence Platform, was invited to discuss applications of AI in developing innovative medicines.

Tech company IBM is providing an AI model to support the research of the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. Their aim is to save time, especially at the beginning of the drug discovery process. 

This year, all academic hospitals and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) will join forces to create NESTOR: a large database that consolidates data from as many people as possible with a hereditary predisposition to cancer. The project receives €3.4 million from KWF.

KWF and Radboudumc

Palga and Health-RI are collaborating to set up a platform for multidisciplinary consultation, with molecular and clinical data of patients who are discussed in a molecular tumor board. This platform should add great value for both patient care and scientific research into cancer pathology and new treatments.

The GENAYA project, launched in 2022, aims to fully map tumor DNA in 1,000 adolescents/young adults (AYAs) with cancer using whole genome sequencing. This will be able to provide more insight into the genetic characteristics of tumours in these patients, which may lead to more tailored treatment. Currently, 22 hospitals have signed an agreement for participation in GENAYA, and around 100 patients have been included.