The Swiss Cancer Research foundation funds promising projects across all areas of cancer research, aiming to improve both the survival and quality of life of patients with cancer.
Several types of cancer are triggered by mutations in a protein called BRAF. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have resolved a previously unknown conformation adopted by this protein during cell proliferation. Their study, which has now been published in the journal Molecular Cell, opens new avenues for cancer treatment.
A successfully completed research project has uncovered an unexpected pattern in aggressive brain tumors: glioblastoma cells survive in protected areas of the brain, remain hidden there, and can later begin growing again.
The prognosis for malignant brain tumors has improved only slightly in recent years. This makes innovative approaches all the more important. A new immunotherapy is intended to provide affected patients with new treatment options in the future.
The Swiss Cancer Research foundation is funding new research projects to the tune of around 12.2 million Swiss francs, paving the way for important new findings in the fight against cancer.
Why do some tumours spread while others remain localised?
Ovarian cancer often forms secondary tumors, especially in a certain tissue in the abdominal cavity known as the omentum. Researchers from the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel have investigated what happens when the cancer “hijacks” this organ. It is hoped their findings will lead to more successful treatments.
Cancer with unknown primary tumor (CUP) is one of the most challenging oncological conditions. While metastases are visible, the origin remains concealed. A research project at the University Hospital Zurich demonstrates that even with this difficult-to-classify diagnosis, biological targets for more precise therapies can be identified.
Sarcomas are rare but aggressive cancers that disproportionately affect children. Two researchers are working to develop more precise immunotherapies that may offer gentler and more effective treatment options.
Certain gut bacteria can strengthen the immune system and, in experiments, slow the growth of tumors. This is shown by a successfully completed research project.
Chemotherapy commonly damages the intestinal lining, a well-known side effect. But this injury does not remain confined to the gut. It reshapes nutrient availability for intestinal bacteria, forcing the microbiota to adapt.
Why do some cancers no longer respond to therapy? And why do tumors succeed in evading the immune system? These questions were at the heart of a research project on resistance in B-cell lymphomas.
For a long time, medicine treated the male body as the universal standard. Only in recent years have cancer specialists begun to systematically examine gender-specific differences—and in doing so, are discovering new ways to improve cancer treatment.
