Prof. Rene Bernards

René Bernards studied adenovirus transformation for his PhD research with Alex van der Eb in Leiden. He joined the laboratory of Robert Weinberg at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, USA for his postdoctoral training. He was appointed assistant professor at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in 1988.

In 1992 he joined the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. In 1994 he was also appointed part time professor of molecular carcinogenesis at Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

Senescence research in the Bernards group

My group uses genome-wide functional genetic approaches to identify powerful drug combinations, new drug targets and mechanisms of resistance to cancer drugs. We aim to bring our discoveries to the clinic in close collaboration with the clinicians of our affiliated hospital.

Pro-senescence therapies for the treatment of cancer
Induction of senescence represents a promising strategy for the treatment of cancer, especially when such pro-senescence therapy is followed by a second drug that selectively kills senescent cancer cells (senolytic agent). We published this year that such a “one-two punch” therapy is effective for the treatment of liver cancer. To make this approach more generally applicable, we have characterized a large panel of senescent cancer cells with the aim to find common vulnerabilities. We have performed CRISPR screens in senescent cancer cells to uncover such vulnerabilities. This resulted in the identification of several new candidate senolytic agents.