KWF supports metastasized ovarian cancer research with 429,200 euros
It was announced on December 12 that the KWF is honoring Patricia Dankers' research with 429,200 euros in funding.
In the startup UPyTher, Patricia Dankers, Peter-Paul Fransen and Geert van Almen work together with the Dankerslab of the TU/e on solutions to combat peritoneal cancer. The solutions they are working on involve drug delivery in the peritoneal cavity.
Often, peritoneal cancer occurs in combination with other cancers such as colon, ovarian and stomach cancer. Especially when women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed, the disease is often at an advanced stage, with the peritoneum also affected.
Looking for drug delivery at the right place
The startup UPyTher is working on a special gel containing chemotherapy to ensure that the medication reaches the right place in the body. With this, they expect to be able to fight disease more effectively in the future. Not surprisingly, in addition to the ongoing research, Dankers has applied to KWF for additional research for the application of their gel to metastasized ovarian cancer.
Especially the link between metastasized ovarian cancer and peritoneal cancer makes it plausible that the researchers’ approach and gel, can also give good results in metastasized ovarian cancer. The request for funding to set up the necessary research to develop a product for this purpose has therefore been honored by the KWF with a 429,200 euro grant.
“It's super wonderful that we are getting money from the KWF for our research,” says Dankers. “Like UPyTher's other research, it will involve research into drug delivery in the abdominal cavity, but with a focus on metastasized ovarian cancer. In any case, it is very special that TU/e is receiving funding from the KWF as the lead applicant.”