Danny Sahtoe selected to join Oncode Institute

Sahtoe’s research focuses on the design of new protein molecules, in order to answer biological research questions, and to create the basic building blocks for synthetic biology applications. As an expert in computational protein design, Sahtoe wants to design advanced protein systems that will be part of next generation smart research tools and therapeutics to combat cancer.

Designing proteins to deliver anti-cancer drugs

With the support of Oncode, he will explore the computational design of protein systems that are capable of specifically delivering large biological drug molecules to cancer cells. This is important because many anti-cancer drugs that are very efficient at killing cancer cells inadvertently also kill healthy cells, which leads to side effects. “The first step of any specific drug should therefore be the specific recognition of diseased tissue, in this case the cancer cells,” explains Sahtoe. “My lab aims to design new proteins that can sense the chemicals and cells in their environment and react to these signals with specific biological responses. In the context of cancer, this means that these designed proteins would be able to specifically recognize cancer cells in their environment and facilitate their clearance from the body.” This clearance requires the destruction of the cancer cells, which the researchers hope to achieve by designing a protein that can deliver a toxic drug molecule to the cancer cell through a change in its 3D shape. “By designing the protein in such way that this change in shape only takes places when it has specifically recognized cancer cells, the toxic drugs can be delivered very specifically, without affecting healthy cells. In this way, and with the financial support of Oncode, we hope to contribute to developing new, highly specific anti-cancer drugs,” says Sahtoe.

Ten new Oncode Investigators

Sahtoe and the other new Junior Investigators of Oncode were selected based on the quality of their science, expertise and potential to contribute to the mission of Oncode. The Institute now grows to 62 research groups, spread over 13 universities and research institutes throughout the Netherlands. Clare Isacke, Academic Dean at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, member of Oncode Institute’s International Advisory Board and Chair of the selection committee, says: “We were impressed by the high quality of all candidates. We are proud that we can invite a multidisciplinary group of young researchers to join this wonderful institute. Their diversity in background and expertise helps the mission of Oncode Institute to focus on cancer research from different perspectives.”