Dr. Annemarie Boleij is a biomedical scientist and assistant professor at Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen. She is conducting research into toxins produced by bacteria in the intestine. Could these toxins cause people to develop bowel cancer? And if so, what can be done about it? This is a promising line of research that is opening up new avenues in the prevention and early treatment of bowel cancer.
Toxins in the intestines
‘It has been known for some time that some bacteria in the intestines produce toxins. These toxins penetrate the intestinal wall and can potentially damage the intestinal cells. Previous research has already shown that these toxins can cause bowel cancer. But there is still a lot we don't know. How common are these toxins in people's intestines? And can these toxins indeed increase the risk of bowel cancer? I am very keen to investigate this.’
Thousands of test subjects
‘To answer that question properly, we need to examine a lot of people. That really means thousands of test subjects. Fortunately, I can use the data and stool samples from previous large studies in my research. My team and I are going to examine how many people have these toxins, and we are going to see if there is a relationship with bowel cancer. I certainly suspect that there is a relationship. For example, American research has already shown that these toxins are more common in people with a family history of bowel cancer. But we won't know for sure until we have tested this in large groups of people. I can't wait to investigate this relationship further.’
New paths
‘This research is important for better understanding the development of bowel cancer – and therefore preventing it. Suppose we do indeed discover that these toxins are a factor. Then many new avenues will open up. For example, we can investigate whether eating differently and leading a healthy lifestyle reduces the production of toxins in the intestines. But it could also be that from now on we will also check for these toxins in the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Perhaps in the future, drugs will be developed to block these toxins, or maybe we can add good bacteria to the intestine that prevent the toxins from being produced. In short, more knowledge can lead to new solutions.’
Collaborating with the Dutch Digestive Health Fund
‘No less than 1 in 3 people will develop cancer at some point in their lives, and it almost always has a huge impact on their life. I see this in my own environment too. I am therefore very happy that the Dutch Digestive Health Fund wants to collaborate on my research. It shows that the Dutch Digestive Health Fund is not only there to improve treatment for people with gastrointestinal diseases, but that the Dutch Digestive Health Fund also wants to prevent these diseases from developing in the first place. Donating to this research will help us understand more about the cause of bowel cancer. And that will give us tools to intervene earlier. A lot of suffering can be prevented that way.’
Upstream
‘As a researcher, I want to ensure that fewer people become ill. It is even the reason I studied Biomedical Sciences. At the open day, the trainer said: ‘Imagine you are standing by a river that flows downhill. Every day, people who live by the water and drink from it become ill. If you become a doctor, you will try to make these people better – and that is wonderful work. But if you become a biomedical scientist, you will climb the mountain to the source to discover what is making the people sick. That image has always stayed with me. I want to go upstream and tackle the problem at the source. That is my drive.’