News

Karel Půbal, who has participated in NICR workshops and Summer School, is among this year's recipients of the Česká hlavička Award, which recognises talented secondary school students and is the younger counterpart of the prestigious Česká hlava science awards. He received the GENUS “Nature Around Us” Award, presented by the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University. After graduating from Střední zdravotnická škola Beroun, he went on to study at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.

How can the latest findings in cancer research be brought into secondary school classrooms? This was the central question explored by participants in the workshop “Science Belongs in Schools”, organised by NICR on 22 October.

Rome hosted the 21st Congress of the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) from 24 to 27 September, bringing together experts in the research, diagnosis and treatment of nervous system tumours at one of Europe's most important neuro-oncology meetings. Researchers from all three NICR nodes were also among the active participants.

Cancer treatment not only damages tumour cells but also changes them. And some of these changes could be used to target treatment more effectively. Scientists from the team of Marek Mráz at CEITEC Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, which is part of the NICR, have found that during treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a receptor becomes more abundant on the surface of cancer cells, making it possible to target them with an antibody.

Once again this year, Researchers’ Night opened the doors of research institutions, offering the public an opportunity to experience the world of research up close. The National Institute for Cancer Research organised a lecture for visitors at the Academic Club of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. NICR partner institutions at other locations also took part in the festival programme.

The National Institute for Cancer Research once again took part in Brno Oncology Days (BOD), which celebrated its 50th edition this year. The jubilee event provided a platform not only for sharing the latest findings and interdisciplinary discussion, but also for establishing new partnerships. NICR supported the traditional Glio Meeting dedicated to brain tumours and, during the conference itself, signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Úsměv nejen pro Kryštofa Foundation.

NICR is joining Rakathon as an academic and research partner. From 16 to 18 October, the event will bring together oncology, research, artificial intelligence and modern technologies in Prague, Brno and Ostrava.

Six selected secondary school students spent the last week of August somewhere they would rarely get to go as part of their regular classes – working directly in research laboratories. The second edition of the NICR Summer School gave them five days of hands-on experience under the guidance of experienced scientists and an opportunity to explore different areas of cancer research – from working with cancer cells and biochemistry to drug development and the study of alterations in the cancer genome.

At the turn of June and July, the 13th Summer School of Experimental Surgery took place at the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University. The event is traditionally organized by the team led by Václav Liška, whose research group is part of the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR).

The international Summer school of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunity, held under the auspices of NICR, once again brought leading experts together with the next generation of researchers from several countries in the picturesque town of Nové Hrady. Four days of inspiring lectures, open discussions, informal networking – and a truly outstanding atmosphere.

How do viral infections reshape cancer cell metabolism, and why might these changes represent the Achilles' heel of cancer cells? These questions were at the centre of a lecture by Christian U. Hübbers from the University of Cologne, who visited the Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, at the invitation of Martin Sztacho.

Under the auspices of NICR, the Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University hosted a lecture by Jakub Cibulka from the Laboratory of Recombination and DNA Repair (Lumír Krejčí Group, Masaryk University).

What does cancer research look like up close? What technologies do scientists use today, and what does working in a modern laboratory involve? Nearly 200 secondary school students sought answers to these questions during the first half of 2026 by taking part in NICR’s interactive workshops.

The Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology, under the auspices of the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR), hosted Professor Masahiko Harata from Tohoku University, Japan, Director of the International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation, on June 18, 2026.

Three lectures organized under the auspices of the National Institute for Cancer Research will offer current perspectives on genome organization, DNA repair, and metabolic changes associated with cancer. The lecture series is organized by Martin Sztacho from the Laboratory of Cancer Cell Architecture.

The Czech EATRIS Spotlight event took place in early June at the Kaiserštejn Palace in Prague, bringing together leading experts to support translational medicine and strengthen collaboration among research infrastructures in the Czech Republic and across Europe. The event welcomed approximately 100 participants, including scientists, clinicians, representatives of research organisations, public authorities, and European partners.

The development of new medicines for paediatric patients, particularly in oncology and rare diseases, remains one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine. The growing importance of academic clinical research was highlighted during this year’s International Clinical Trials Day (ICTD).

As part of the News in Biomedical Research lecture series, Lindsay Case from Massachusetts Institute of Technology visited the Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology at the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. The lecture by the leading American scientist was held at the invitation of Martin Sztacho, whose research group is part of the NUVR, and attracted nearly 50 students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers.

At the invitation of Jan Škoda from the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University and Jaroslav Štěrba, Scientific Director of NICR, Professor Michael D. Hogarty, a leading American pediatric oncologist and researcher from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, visited Brno.

The Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) took place from April 17–22 in San Diego. This year’s theme, “Precision, Partnership, Purpose: Advancing Cancer Science to Save Lives Globally,” reflected the extraordinary advances in cancer research, as well as their expected impacts for patients across the globe. Several NICR research groups also presented their findings.

The fourth edition of the Summer School on Tumor Microenvironment and Immunity will take place this July, organized by the Czech Immunological Society in cooperation with the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS and under the auspices of, among others, the NICR.

On April 8, new laboratories of the Centre of Excellence CREATIC, dedicated to the research, development, and manufacturing of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), were opened in the renovated pavilion at the University Campus Bohunice of Masaryk University. Teams from the NICR have also made a significant contribution to their development.

Join us at AFO 2026 and don’t miss the documentary “André Is an Idiot”—a story about a man who is dying because he underestimated prevention and did not undergo a colonoscopy in time. Representatives of NICR will also take part in the subsequent discussion.

Don’t forget to register for the Czech Annual Cancer Research Meeting, which will take place November 23–25, 2026, in Olomouc. The deadline for abstract submission is September 15, 2026.

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.