Dr. Mirjam Belderbos is a pediatric oncologist and research group leader at the Princess Máxima Center. She investigates why stem cell transplants fail in some children with leukemia. ‘I want to understand how stem cells restore blood formation after transplantation, and why this sometimes fails.’ Belderbos suspects that damage to the stem cell environment in the bone marrow, caused by pre-treatment, contributes to this. Using advanced techniques, her team will map this environment.
Belderbos is very pleased and honored by the award. ‘With this grant, we can take an important step in understanding why stem cell transplants sometimes fail. By better mapping the bone marrow environment, we hope to stimulate stem cell growth and thereby improve survival and quality of life after transplantation.’
Liver Regeneration, Metabolism, and Cancer
Dr. Delilah Hendriks is co-leader of the Artegiani & Hendriks group at the Princess Máxima Center. She studies how the liver repairs itself, and why this process becomes less effective in liver diseases such as fatty liver disease. These diseases are increasingly common, even in children, and raise the risk of liver cancer. Hendriks aims to better understand why the liver’s regenerative capacity declines and how this relates to cancer development. This knowledge may help develop new treatments that slow liver disease and potentially prevent cancer.
Delilah Hendriks is also very happy and grateful for the award. ‘It is a recognition of our previous work in the field of metabolic liver diseases and cancer. Thanks to this support, we can expand our research into liver regeneration and thoroughly explore the interconnections between these themes. The Vidi grant is a tremendous boost for our lab.’
Impact on Children with Cancer
Both research projects contribute to better treatment and survival prospects for children with cancer. The Vidi grants give Belderbos and Hendriks the opportunity to answer these important questions and thus contribute to the mission of the Princess Máxima Center: curing every child with cancer, with optimal quality of life.
With the Vidi grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), Belderbos and Hendriks each receive €850,000 in research funding. This will be used for conducting experiments, advanced data analyses, and attracting new scientific talent.