“Every time I walk into the hospital, I’m reminded why research matters. My work focused on young women with breast cancer, and how they respond to PARP inhibitors. These drugs damage the DNA of cancer cells. Because the cells can’t repair that damage, they eventually die. A major challenge, however, is that tumors often become resistant to this therapy over time.
During my research, we discovered something quite unexpected with the histones. Histones are proteins that make sure that our DNA, strands that are about two meters long, can fit neatly inside the cell nucleus. PARP inhibitors cause these histones to be expelled from the DNA. But they aren’t destroyed; they are temporarily stored elsewhere. When we disrupt this process of storage and recycling, resistant tumors become sensitive to treatment again.
I often wear my headphones when I’m in the lab. Whenever I start laughing, my colleagues know I’m probably listening to one of my favorite German comedians again. I’m originally from Austria, and if there’s one thing I miss in the Netherlands, it’s the mountains.”
Sarah Moser will defend her thesis on November 14. Good luck, Sarah!
Research at the Netherlands Cancer Institute is financially supported by KWF Dutch Cancer Society.and the AVL Foundation
prof. dr. ir. J.M.M. Jonkers
prof. dr. S. Rottenberg