News

Our dear longtime colleague and friend, leading molecular immunology expert Jonathan S. Duke-Cohan from Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, visited Prague once again.

How does the immune system influence the development and progression of brain tumors, and what new treatment possibilities does immunotherapy offer? These questions were among the topics addressed in a lecture by Magdalena Houdová Megová from the NICR, delivered as part of the Brain Awareness Week festival and attended by dozens of members of the public.

How has our understanding of T-lymphocyte development and T-cell receptor signaling evolved over the past two decades? And what do these advances mean for contemporary immunology and the future of targeted therapies? These and other questions will be addressed by leading molecular immunologist Jonathan S. Duke-Cohan.

What happens inside tumour cells when a slow-growing lymph node cancer transforms into an aggressive form of the disease? The key is the loss of a molecule called miR-29, which normally acts as a brake on tumour cell growth.

As is traditional at the end of January, the Clarion Congress Hotel Prague hosted the 17th edition of the interdisciplinary oncology colloquium PragueONCO. NICR was also represented in the scientific programme, having co-organised, together with the Neuro-Oncology Section of the Czech Oncology Society, a parallel symposium focused on the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours.

This year's Czech Annual Cancer Research (CACR) Meeting will take place on November 23–25, 2026, traditionally at the NH Collection Olomouc Congress Hotel.

On 18 January, during a ceremonial evening at the Prague Planetarium, the Neuron Foundation announced the laureates of its awards honoring outstanding Czech scientists for 2025. The Award for Connecting Science and Business was presented to the Czech spin-off company Adalid Sciences ...

Students of the Christian Doppler Grammar School in Prague discussed the molecular basis of cancer […]

Thank you for your cooperation this year. We wish you a peaceful Christmas, good health, happiness, energy, and great ideas in 2026!

On 2 December 2025, a summary conference of the collaborating EXCELES projects was held at the Residence of the Mayor of Prague. EXCELES is a programme of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports aimed at supporting excellent research and the emergence of national scientific authorities. Funded by the National Recovery Plan, the projects connect key biomedical institutions across the Czech Republic and strive for what Czech research has long been lacking: cooperation rather than fragmentation.

The programme of this year’s Czech Annual Cancer Research Meeting (CACR Meeting), which brought almost 300 leading scientists from the Czech Republic and abroad to Olomouc on 23–25 November, offered a comprehensive overview of the latest findings that may fundamentally influence future cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The National Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) also presented the results of its 3.5-year existence.

In cooperation between the NICR and the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, a lecture by Martin Sadílek from the University of Washington took place in Prague on November 6. The talk focused on the use of mass spectrometry in newborn screening and biomedical research.

New insights into the metabolic mechanisms of tumors and their therapeutic targeting were the main theme of the 4th Prague Symposium on Cancer Metabolism, held under the auspices of the National Institute for Cancer Research on October 14–15, 2025, at the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, in Motol.

For the first time, the 20th Congress of the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO 2025) took place in a country of the former Eastern Bloc — and Prague passed the test with flying colors. A record attendance of more than 1,600 experts, inspiring discussions, and new partnerships all confirmed the growing importance of Czech neuro-oncology on the European map.

Sweeten up the penultimate Friday in October and support a good cause! Come on 24 October 2025 between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to Camus Square Shopping Centre in Brno to taste what Zdeněk Andrysík from the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, members of his research group and other colleagues from NICR have baked for you. Proceeds from this second charity bake sale will be donated to the Fund Krtek.

As dusk fell on 26 September, the Academic Club of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, in Prague’s Faust House filled to capacity. On the occasion of Researchers’ Night, the National Institute for Cancer Research welcomed all those who are curious about the unknown and unexplored.

The Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the CAS invites you to a one-day workshop, which will take place on November 11, 2025, and will feature invited lectures delivered by distinguished experts in advanced analytical techniques s and cancer research.

The National Institute for Cancer Research once again took part in the 49th Brno Oncology Days (BOD) and the 39th Nursing Conference, held in early September in Brno. The event welcomed more than 2,400 participants and confirmed its position as the largest oncology conference in the Czech Republic.

Four leading research institutions, five days, and six motivated high school students who immersed themselves in the world of scientific discovery. For the very first time, the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR) organized a Summer School for secondary school students, offering them a unique opportunity to experience first-hand what it means to work in research teams.

At the end of the summer holidays, Martin Sztacho, whose research group at NICR focuses on the architecture of cancer cells, actively participated in the 17th International Congress of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry. The program featured the latest insights in histochemistry and cytochemistry applied in medicine, biology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence.

Don't forget that September 1, 2025, the deadline for submitting abstracts for the Czech Annual Cancer Research Meeting, is fast approaching!

Three days of an intensive program, top lecturers, professionals from various fields of academic and clinical oncology representing several European universities, and over 30 students who were not afraid to tackle challenging topics such as preclinical research, drug development, or bioinformatics. That was the 4EU+ Against Cancer Summer School – a project of the European University Alliance 4EU+, with Czech contributions to the academic program provided by researchers from the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR).

From June 30 to July 11, 2025, the 12th annual Summer School of Experimental Surgery took place at the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Pilsen. This prestigious international educational event is traditionally organized by a team led by Václav Liška, whose research group is part of the NICR.

The Center for Precision Medicine of the University Hospital Brno and the National Institute for Cancer Research recently established strategic partnership aimed at connecting cutting-edge research and jointly contributing to the development of precision medicine in oncology.

For the third time, the Summer School focused on the tumor microenvironment and immunity took place in the inspiring surroundings of the Nové Hrady Castle in South Bohemia. The event, held under the auspices of the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR) and the Czech Immunological Society, welcomed around twenty scientists, doctors, and, above all, postgraduate students from the Czech Republic and abroad.

Great news for all researchers and academics! The deadline for abstract submission has been extended. Now you can upload your abstract until September 1, 2025. Don't forget to register! We look forward to seeing you on November 24–26, 2025, in Olomouc!

From January to June 2025, the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR) organized 28 interactive workshops for high school students. Approximately 250 students from grammar schools and secondary vocational schools across the Czech Republic participated in the program, specifically from Prague, Kutná Hora, Příbram, Brno, Hradec Králové, Havířov, Most, Beroun, and Litoměřice.

For the second time this year, the National Institute for Cancer Research awarded a special prize to students participating in the Secondary School Professional Activity (SOČ) program who focused their work on cancer research. The awards were presented during the 47th national competition, which took place on June 14–15, 2025, in Teplice.

From 3 to 7 June 2025, Dr. Mina Popovic from Union–Nikola Tesla University in Belgrade visited the Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. The visit took place thanks to the support of and within the activities of the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR).

We would like to invite you to a lecture by Dr. Mina Popovic from Belgrade, in which she will present two novel hafnia strains from common carp as potential probiotics with biodegradation capabilities of microplastics.