Cancer researchers at Lund University have been awarded a record donation of SEK 420 million from the Mrs. Berta Kamprad Foundation. Kristian Pietras is a cancer researcher and professor at the faculty, who together with Carl Borrebaeck, Create Health at LTH, are the principal researchers responsible for the donation."We have worked hard for a long time to develop the collaboration with researchers in Lausanne, Switzerland, within the L2 Cancer Bridge programme, and now this fantastic opportunity opened up to accelerate and expand our research programme. We are of course very grateful and excited for the coming years," says Kristian Pietras and continues:
"Now we have the opportunity to think more long-term and with greater ambitions in our research, and as a researcher, it always provides much-needed security. We will be able to invest in infrastructure that will allow us to be at the technological forefront."
Relevant to patients
The donation will be used for translational research. In translational research, researchers can, for example, work on implementing findings from basic research in clinical use, such as a new drug. Or you research the basics of a problem that cancer patients face, such as how to prevent a certain side effect of a cancer treatment.
The L2 Cancer Bridge is a research collaboration between the Swiss Cancer Center and CREATE Health that focuses on identifying new targets for immunotherapies against cancer. The donation funds, which will be distributed by a steering group consisting of researchers from Lund and Lausanne, will be used by researchers who are part of the collaboration within L2 Cancer Bridge and for the recruitment of new junior research groups.
"Cancer research in Lausanne is of world-leading class and our collaboration strengthens the ties between our cancer centres, which will provide opportunities for more valuable collaborations and exchanges."
Accelerating the development of cancer treatment
The task of research is to create new knowledge, but it is not always possible to know immediately in what way the knowledge can be useful, but the foundation is laid for the development of new drugs or diagnostic methods.
"Within the L2Bridge programme, the researchers have in-depth expertise in the entire chain, from basic research to drug development and clinical studies. The hope is that by building together and standardizing the different parts, we can accelerate the development of new treatments for cancer patients."
