Generous Donation Supports Lung Cancer Research

During a fundraising event organized by the Rotterdam Fund Racers (link), money was raised for cancer research. A portion of the proceeds (€40,000) was allocated to further research by our research group, which focuses on mapping the different immune cells within tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in lung cancer.

Despite the advent of new cancer treatments, including immunotherapy, many people still die from (lung) cancer. There is therefore an urgent need for a better understanding of the factors that contribute to an effective immune response against tumors. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are a promising avenue in this context: their presence in lung tumors is associated with improved survival and a stronger response to therapy. However, it remains unclear exactly how TLS contribute to these favorable outcomes. Gaining more insight into their formation and function could lead to new strategies to selectively boost the immune system and improve treatment effectiveness. We will use this donation to perform single-cell RNA sequencing, among other techniques, to comprehensively identify and characterize the immune players within TLS.