Jeroen Goos

What research do you do at MedTechLabs?

The focus of my research group, recently established at the Karolinska Institute, lies with the development of new tools for the molecular imaging and treatment of patients with cancer. We use synthetic molecules, but also biological compounds, that are labelled with radioactive isotopes to specifically target the sites in the body where tumours are located. Some of these isotopes can be detected using diagnostic imaging devices (e.g. PET), whereas other isotopes are more suited for the delivery of therapeutic doses of radioactivity that kill the tumour cells.

Our main research line aims at developing minimally invasive, nuclear treatment strategies for patients that suffer from brain cancer. We are using natural peptides and bispecific antibodies that are capable to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and then specifically bind to tumour tissue. In our second research line, we use imaging isotopes to track immune cells in the human body during immune cell therapy.

What impact do you hope to achieve with your research?

Strikingly, Sweden has the highest number of children with brain cancer out of all European countries. I hope that our research will contribute to a significant reduction in the number of patients that lose the fight against this horrible disease. We aim to develop state-of-the-art, long-lasting, effective treatment strategies for cancer patients with minimal side effects that considerably improve their chance of survival and quality of life.

When would this research come to practical use for the patients?

The proximity of the Karolinska University Hospital and the combined expertise within MedTechLabs create a multidisciplinary environment that allows for the quick translation of preclinical results into clinical applications. Although it is always difficult to predict when research will come to practical use, the excellent conditions provided within this collaborative effort will facilitate first-in-human studies in the short term and, ultimately, approved clinical applications when the novel treatments appear successful.

What is Your professional background and Your motivation as a researcher?

I was trained as a Biomedical Engineer at the Eindhoven University of Technology and obtained my Master´s degree in 2009. I performed my doctoral research at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, after which I’ve done postdoctoral studies at the Radionuclide Center in Amsterdam, at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Melbourne, Australia, and at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

I always envisioned having a career that allows me to contribute to a better world. By being a cancer researcher, I hope to be able to make a difference in the fight against cancer, even be it with little steps.

Contact Jeroen Goos: jeroen.goos@ki.se