Golden Master Award 2016

Considerans

Marcel Heinrich, University of Twente
“Lipoxin A4 as potential agent to inhibit the tumor-promoting effects of pancreatic stellate cells in the tumor microenvironment”

The jury Golden Master Award of the KNCV has nominated the thesis of Marcel Heinrich, entitled “Lipoxin A4 as potential agent to inhibit the tumor-promoting effects of pancreatic stellate cells in the tumor microenvironment”, for the Golden Master Award 2016.

In his thesis Marcel Heinrich describes in a very clear and well-illustrated way the research that was performed under supervision of Dr. Jai Prakash and MSc. Jonas Schnittert in the group of Prof. Dr. Grijpma at the department of Biomaterials Science and Technology of the University of Twente.

The aim of his research was to test a novel natural lipid molecule Lipoxin A4 as a potential agent to inhibit the tumor-promoting effects of pancreatic stellate cells in the tumor microenvironment. His results showed that treatment of patient-derived primary pancreatic stellate cells with Lipoxin-A4 could inhibit the transformation into their myofibroblast-like tumor-promoting phenotype, both in 2D monocultures and 3D spheroidal co-cultures. Pancreas carcinoom is a very aggressive cancer and therapeutic agents are not present so Lipoxin A4 might open up a new treatment strategy against pancreatic cancer.

Marcel’s project was ambitious and multidisciplinary as it comprised cell biology (cell culture, gene expression) and pharmacological tests including cells testing in 2D and 3D format. Complete new analytical methods were set up and the results were tested with a good statistical approach and appropriate controls.

He compiled his results in a high quality master thesis with minimal help of supervisors. The thesis is well readable because it is clearly built up with a good structure including future challenges. The experimental procedures look robust and reproducible and are illustrated with a good statistical approach in the supplementary. In addition extensive literature references were cited. The results are relevant and will be submitted for publication in a scientific journal with Marcel as first author.

The combination of the high level of the performed work, the quality of the thesis, and the diversity of biological and pharmacological technologies, has convinced the committee to nominate the thesis as the winner of the Golden Master Award 2016.

The other two prizes were awarded to:

Pien Goldsteen - Wageningen University and Research Center
Affinity based capturing of circulating tumour cells in microfluidic channels

Thomas Bakkum - Universiteit Leiden
Assessing the stability of bioorthogonal click handles for intralysosomal click reactions

The jury consisted of KNCV members in the broad range of chemistry: