Seminari de Recerca Vall d'Hebron -Johan van Nes "Tumor cell heterogeneity, drug resistance and development of relapse"

Most high-risk neuroblastoma respond to therapy by complete clinical remission, but frequently relapse as therapy-resistant disease. Our lab aims to elucidate this enigmatic process and to devise new treatment options to prevent resistance and relapse.

We have identified that neuroblastoma includes lineage-committed adrenergic (ADRN) cells and a minor fraction of undifferentiated mesenchymal (MES) tumor cells. These cell states can spontaneously transdifferentiate and have been extensively characterized for their transcriptional states, chromatin landscapes and lineage transcription factor networks. Importantly, MES cells are resistant to a wide variety of drugs used in the clinical management of neuroblastoma. We have developed an in vivo relapse model and found that combinations of MES- and ADRN-specific drugs delays the onset of relapses. I will discuss how normal development and tumour cell heterogeneity provide a framework to understand resistance and the potential for relapse development.

Short CV: Johan van Nes studied Biology and obtained a PhD from Utrecht University for his work on mouse developmental genetics. He leads a research group that studies the biology of relapse development in the childhood tumour neuroblastoma (Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Amsterdam). His research focuses on fundamental insights in intra-tumour heterogeneity and tumour cell plasticity to identify new therapeutic combinations to combat relapses.

Host:  Miguel Segura / Carlos Jiménez,  Group of Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer. Vall d'Hebron Institut of Research (VHIR). Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron

Format: Face-to-face and online Streaming link: click here

LLoc: Sala d'Actes de la planta baixa de l'HG