“This grant is recognition that my work is valuable”

How likely are you to develop bowel cancer? 
Marta: “Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer, in both men and women. After lung cancer, it’s the deadliest. The form of bowel cancer I mainly focus on is microsatellite stable bowel cancer. 85 percent of patients have this type. It’s known as a ‘cold’ tumour, because it doesn’t attract many immune cells, preventing the body's defense system to recognize or actively fight the cancer. That’s why it’s also difficult to find good strategies to treat it with immunotherapy.” 

What causes it? 
Marta: “Like all cancers, bowel cancer has a mix of causes, I think. The first is genetic predisposition, and the second is lifestyle. The Western diet has really driven up the numbers. Alcohol, for instance – people think it only harms the liver, but it damages much more, including the intestines. Regular alcohol, burgers, fizzy drinks, etc., really don’t do us any good. Combined with the fact that we’re living longer, it explains why bowel cancer is becoming more and more common. The older you get, the greater the risk that your intestines are exposed to something harmful. And if a polyp goes unnoticed, it can grow into a full-blown tumour. So live healthily and get screened, especially as you get older.” 

You’re researching the possibility of treating bowel cancer with mRNA therapy. What does that mean in layman’s terms? 
Karine Breckpot: “We hope to activate the immune response much more strongly than is currently the case in patients. The immune system – especially the T cells – needs to attack the cancerous tumours. From the mRNA COVID vaccines, we know that it’s possible to trigger the immune system to protect you from a virus. But with cancer it’s different, because the enemy – the cancer cells – is already present in the body. So first, you have to make sure that your ‘army’ is bigger than that of the enemy. And second, to boost the immune system as much as possible, you need to make sure the cells are well equipped and have the right weapons to defeat the enemy. We believe that with Marta’s research, we’re on the right track: we have our sights on a molecule that could help us turn T cells into super soldiers.” 

"One day, we will outsmart the tumour. And when that happens, we can train the immune system to do it itself" 

How did you, as a Spanish researcher, end up at VUB? (And specifically with Karine Breckpot?) 
Marta: “When COVID hit, I decided to emigrate from Spain. After a year in the Netherlands, I started a master’s at VUB. One of the courses was taught by Karine. I really enjoyed the subject she was teaching. Right after the course, I emailed her to ask whether it might be possible to do a PhD with her. Because I was so curious, she invited me to visit her lab. That visit led to her offering me a research position, which I naturally accepted.” 

What makes Karine’s research so appealing? 
Marta: “I was fascinated by cancer research. Her approach to tackling the problem through immunotherapy is very promising, and I want to contribute to it in whatever way I can.” 

How come Kom op tegen Kanker is being so generous? Two other students of Karine’s also received a grant. 
Karine: “That hasn’t always been the case. But I hope it reflects the growing belief in immunotherapy. It’s definitely also recognition of the students themselves. They’ve worked incredibly hard during their studies to achieve top results. In their grant applications, they clearly demonstrated both their abilities and motivation. To carry out top-level research, you need top-level researchers.” 

What are the realistic expectations for cancer treatment through immunotherapy? 

“The realistic expectation is that immunotherapy can actually cure a portion of patients. For others, it may help to keep the disease under control for a long time. But sadly, there’s still the risk that the tumour outsmarts the immune system and comes back. What’s encouraging, though, is that the number of patients for whom immunotherapy really works is steadily increasing. Every time someone goes into remission – or is even cured – and then experiences a relapse, we get the chance to examine exactly what went wrong. By analyzing blood and tissue samples, we keep learning more. And that allows us to further refine the therapies. We’re not doing this alone – here on campus, at the Translational Oncology Research Centre, there are researchers working very closely with patients. Thanks to their work, and to the samples from patients, we’re getting smarter every day. One day, we’ll outsmart the tumour. And when that happens, we’ll be able to train the immune system to do it on its own.”