Research at the PPOL lab

​"Advancing translational research to transform molecular discoveries into innovative treatments that bring new hope to children with cancer"

​Despite significant advances in pediatric oncology, survival rates for certain childhood cancers remain unacceptably low, highlighting the critical need for continued research. Our team focuses on neuroblastoma and pediatric (rhabdomyo)sarcomas, two aggressive and often treatment-resistant malignancies.
Through in-depth investigation of tumor biology, we aim to identify novel molecular targets and therapeutic vulnerabilities, with the ultimate goal of developing more effective and less toxic treatments to improve long-term outcomes for children affected by these cancers.​ 

Neuroblastoma research

pEDIATRIC Sarcoma research

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric tumor arising from immature sympathetic neuroblasts. It is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children (10% of all childhood cancers). The currently employed intensive multi-modal therapies for high-risk disease still achieve disappointingly low perspective for cure, with less than 50% survival rates. As such, there is an urgent medical need for more effective and less toxic therapeutic strategies for high-risk neuroblastoma patients, with the integration of precision oncology biomarkers for patient stratification, therapy prediction and monitoring. 

Pediatric soft tissue sarcomas are a rare and diverse group of mesenchymal tumors, accounting for approximately 8% of all childhood cancers. Over half of these cases are diagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a tumor arising from developing skeletal muscle. Despite optimal surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments, survival for high-risk RMS has remained dismally low (below 20%), underscoring the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies.