Amsterdam, 12 August 2008 – Last week two young, talented NKI-AVL researchers received a Vidi-grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Both will receive a considerable amount of money for further research. Dr. Elisabetta Citterio will use the research grant to study how the packaging of the DNA impacts on the prevention of mutations and the maintenance of genome stability. Dr. Karin de Visser will invest the money in her study on the role of the immune system in breast cancer.
DNA packaging
Dr. Citterio works since 2006 as a senior post-doc in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the NKI-AVL, investigating how the DNA is packaged in the cell. The highly compacted organization of the DNA with proteins can affect the way DNA is protected from damage. Changes of the compacted DNA structure are necessary to allow the repair of the damage. This is critical, because DNA damage can lead to cancer. Citterio identified the enzyme USP3, which plays an important role in modifying the packaging of the DNA. With the Vidi-grant, Citterio can study the function of this enzyme in detail and work towards the identification of novel proteins involved in this process.
Immune system and breast cancer: friend or foe?
Not only processes that occur inside cancer cells are important for cancer growth, but also interactions between cancer cells and other, healthy cells in their environment. De Visser studies the interplay between the immune system and breast cancer. The immune system is very powerful in protecting us from pathogenic invaders. However, it is less effective in protecting us from cancer. Recent studies even indicate that the immune system can promote cancer development. With this VIDI-grant, De Visser will investigate the role of the immune system during development and therapy of breast cancer, using mouse tumour models.
‘Vernieuwingsimpuls’
The Vidi-grant is one of the three grants of the so called ‘Vernieuwingsimpuls’, or Innovational Research Incentives Scheme, of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Vidi-grants are targeted at researchers who have completed their doctorates and already spent some years conducting post-doctoral research, thereby demonstrating the ability to generate new ideas and bring them independently to fruition. From the 393 applications 81 research proposals have been granted. The maximum amount of the grant is 600.000 euros. With this grant the researchers will be given the opportunity to develop their own innovative lines of research and themselves to appoint one or more researchers to assist them in the task. The researchers who receive the grant rank among the top 10-20% of their peer group.