Societal Outreach

Oncology

Cancer is the number one cause of death in the western world. However, Innovative treatments will become increasingly available as we acquire more knowledge in the fields of immunology, autoimmunology, pharmacology and personalised medicine. The LUMC excels in oncology, both in basic research and in the treatment of different types of cancer.

The LUMC is the national referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of ocular tumors. Such tumors are pigmented tumors of the conjunctiva, iris and choroid, as well as orbital tumors. The LUMC is the only centre in the Netherlands which offers local brachytherapy for intraocular or ocular surface tumors. Clinical research focuses on the improvement of local irradiation, and on the prevention and treatment of radiation-related complications.

Translational research is important for identifying prognostic factors and to obtain a better understanding of the molecular pathways that determine tumor growth and metastasis formation. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is an important mechanism in uveal melanoma. Analysis of enucleated eyes shows that an important prognostic factor is the loss of one chromosome 3, but that this is associated with the presence of an inflammatory phenotype. Research focuses on the immunological environment of the tumor and the relevance of anti-melanoma immune responses. Animal studies are used to determine how a combination of immuno-therapy, anti-angiogenesis therapy, or chemotherapy, can inhibit tumor growth. Hopefully, new targeted therapies will one day be transferred to the clinic.

Regenerative medicine

In the future, we may finally cure diseases that are now chronic, such as diabetes, kidney disease and heart failure. To do so, we must be able to repair, replace or restore a patient’s diseased or injured organs. This underlies the aim of regenerative medicine. The LUMC has been a pioneer of such type of medicine for more than fifty years.

Population Health

Changes in society and demographic trends are putting pressure on our healthcare system. In addition to their innovations in academic care, UMCs are increasingly expected to contribute to healthcare solutions that will make care accessible and affordable now and in the future. This is why the LUMC has opted to prioritise population health. We believe that population health involves studying the transition from health to disease in the population and how to reduce the risk of disease, as well as developing and testing interventions to promote health. In view of its importance to society and the associated regional opportunities, the LUMC has chosen to maximise its efforts in this field.

The Health Campus The Hague has made a promising start, in cooperation with research groups at the LUMC and Leiden University. We are focusing on promoting the health of large groups of people who have similar profiles, making use of data analytics. Infectious diseases also form a serious threat to public health, a concern that is at the heart of our new Leiden Controlled Human Infection Centre (L-CHIC).