DR-043 Pan-cancer quantification of DNA- and retroviruses

Some cancers are the result of viral infections. A novel type of cancer therapy, called immunotherapy, has been shown to work exceptionally well against such virus-driven cancers. These therapies stimulate the patients own immune system to kill the virus-infected tumor cells. Many viruses have, like humans, a genome of DNA. In this project we are searching for viral DNA within the tumors of patients, to identify the patients with virus-driven tumors. These patients are potential candidates for immutherapy treatment.

Emile Voest NKI/AvL the Netherlands