University Medicine Zurich expands precision oncology

(CONNECT) For the first time, three institutions of University Medicine Zurich are joining forces to form an overarching precision medicine network to strengthen Zurich's multi-year strategy for precision oncology: the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich, The LOOP Zurich and the Tumor Profiler Center, according to a statement from the University of Zurich.

Together, they are promoting a translational cancer research consortium in Zurich. 22 interdisciplinary teams applied with their research projects. They were reviewed by an international panel of experts, which has now selected four projects. Their common goal: personalized and more effective cancer therapies through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Project 1 is about dynamic, individualized risk prediction to improve lymphoma treatment. "We try to predict the course of lymphoma patients at the earliest possible stage. We use high-resolution analyses before and directly after therapy," says Thorsten Zenz from the Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ).

Project 2 is called "Macrocure - Phagocytes against cancer". Anne Müller from the Institute of Molecular Cancer Research at the University of Zurich: "Our mission is to better understand tumor-infiltrating macrophages so that we can target them and use them in the fight against the tumor."

Project 3 comprises the clinical phase 1 study MIRACLE to evaluate the safety and immunological effects of multifunctional mRNA-based CAR immune cells in recurrent glioblastoma. According to Tobias Weiss from the USZ Department of Neurology, it gives patients "access to the world's first study" of this kind.

Project 4 "BRAVE-Lung" also involves a study on robot-assisted bronchoscopic radiofrequency ablation for early-stage lung cancer. Diagnosis and treatment are combined in a single, minimally invasive procedure," explains Thomas Gaisl from the USZ Clinic for Pneumology. ce/mm