“Ouwe lullen moeten weg” – old guys need to go, Hein te Riele jokes, quoting comedy duo Van Kooten & De Bie at the start of this farewell interview. He believes that it is important to make room for young, less experienced people. People who embrace new technologies and dare to try original ideas. “I always told myself I would retire as soon as I reached retirement age. Because of COVID and my illness, I allowed myself to break that promise.”
“Completely unexpected. Five years ago, I was rushed to the OLVG hospital. Colon cancer. I had emergency surgery that same night, performed by a skilled young surgeon who now works at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. At first, I responded like a scientist. That was my way of coping and shielding myself from the emotional impact. It helped me a lot. I dove headfirst into the literature and asked the doctors all kinds of questions. It felt surreal but also familiar, almost like an experiment. It was bizarre to realize that they were analyzing my DNA for genes like p53, which I had been studying in cells and mice for so many years.”
“A diagnostic test that can provide clarity to patients and their family members about their risk of developing colon cancer. The test will be ready for clinical use this summer. Because the technology is very simple, it can be included in any standard lab. It shows which DNA variations truly cause the disease, and which ones are harmless.”
“By modifying DNA, you can study the way it functions in cells and mice. We discovered why the usual method of editing DNA was so inefficient, and how we could improve it. As it turned out, the DNA’s own repair mechanism, the mismatch repair system, was blocking our edits. That insight proved to be a breakthrough, not just for us but for many others in the field. It allowed us to develop a new technique that lets us make extremely precise, tiny changes to DNA.”
“Of course. One that still bothers me is a failed attempt to develop a mouse model to test new treatments for retinoblastoma, an eye tumor. We already had an old but reliable model. Still, we let ourselves be swayed by trends and tried to build a new model using the more modern CRISPR technology. We never should have done that.”
“Absolutely, like when our mice stopped developing tumors after we moved them to a new facility. It taught us a great deal about the effects of gut bacteria on inflammation and cancer.”
“My father died of lung cancer when I was twelve. For the longest time I wanted nothing to do with cancer. Only after studying chemistry, completing my PhD, and doing a postdoc in Paris did I feel ready to enter the field. I chose the Netherlands Cancer Institute because everyone knew it as the place for top-quality research.”
“That’s a good question,” he says with a meaningful glance. “Simply put, I never had a reason to leave. It’s like my house in Amsterdam Oud-West: two floors, a garden, near the water, very peaceful. When you have everything you need, why move on? I’ve always loved this institute. I value our open, curious, and supportive culture. I know you can’t find those just anywhere.”
“I’m full of anticipation. Science has always been my priority, but it has also limited my time for relationships, hobbies, and family life. I used to paint, and I plan to pick that back up. I also hope to revive my social life. I realize I haven’t given some people in my life the attention they deserve.”
“When my son was eleven, he said, ‘Dad, I’m never going to do what you do. It seems hard on you.’ He deliberately decided to enroll in humanities classes in school, although I can see a scientific approach in him now. I do wonder if I did enough for my children [now 31 and 36]. We talk about it occasionally, but they’re way too nice to me.”
“Landscapes and portraits, out on my bike. I’m not very imaginative, so I need to observe the world around me and really see the shapes and colors of a scene. That’s what I love.”
“But there is a similarity: you also have to follow your observations closely and extract their essence in science. I need that connection with reality. I will miss my daily interactions with fellow researchers. Sure, I can chat with my elderly neighbors here, but they don’t know anything about DNA or cancer therapy.”
“Fortunately, the cancer never metastasized, although I did develop two new colon tumors. But I’m doing well now and I’m not worried. I feel incredibly lucky to reach this life stage; many people don’t get that chance.”