Researchers advance personalized cancer treatments and resistance studies

Developments in oncology are shifting toward increasingly personalized therapies tailored to the genetic characteristics of individual tumors and patients. At Johnson & Johnson’s European research hub in Beerse, scientists are utilizing advances in cancer biology and the tumor microenvironment to develop new therapeutic approaches. One established method is CAR-T therapy, which involves the genetic modification of lymphocytes to improve their ability to eliminate tumor cells.

In Italy, the MIRA-HCC project, led by the Fondazione Italiana Fegato, aims to address treatment resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). Scheduled to begin in early 2027 at the AREA Science Park in Trieste, the 12-month study focuses on identifying molecular markers and biomarkers. The goal is to predict how patients will respond to specific drugs, helping to guide therapeutic choices and reduce the use of ineffective treatments for advanced liver cancer.