Collaboration among cancer researchers has reached new heights in Europe, thanks to the EU-backed canSERV platform. This initiative connects scientists with essential research services and infrastructures, accelerating discoveries and improving patient care.
Dr Pavla Bouchalová, a cancer researcher at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, highlights the importance of this collaboration. “Without canSERV, we wouldn’t have been able to do the DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing, or the AI-assisted analysis that we have been working on with the Netherlands,” she explained. Her team is currently evaluating data gathered through the platform before publishing their findings.
Currently, around 2.7 million people in Europe receive a cancer diagnosis each year, a figure projected to rise to over 3.2 million by 2040. As the population ages and lifestyle-related health risks persist, the demand for improved prevention, treatment, and care is becoming increasingly urgent.
The fragmentation of the oncology research landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. Many scientists operate within isolated networks, often lacking access to shared facilities and data, which can hinder progress. To address this issue, canSERV was established in 2022, uniting cancer researchers and research services from nine EU countries and the UK.
This platform serves as a vital resource, allowing researchers to tap into a broad range of advanced services from partner institutions throughout Europe. It acts as a single-entry point, delivering tools, technologies, and data from diverse research infrastructures, enabling scientists to embark on more ambitious studies and expedite their discoveries.
Professor Jens Habermann, director general of BBMRI-ERIC, which leads the canSERV collaboration, described it as a “virtual European core facility for cancer research, where you can pick what you need for your project.” He emphasised the initiative’s role in reducing the fragmentation within the European cancer research landscape.
canSERV’s services are not limited to academic teams; they are also utilised by European biotech companies developing innovative therapies. For instance, Aptadel Therapeutics, a Barcelona-based biotech firm, is working on RNA-based cancer treatments tailored to target tumour cells more effectively than traditional methods.
Through canSERV, Aptadel’s researchers have gained critical insights into how specific drugs interact with tumour cells at the molecular level. Dr Adrian Torres, the company’s chief scientific officer, noted, “The most efficient way for us to obtain these large datasets was by collaborating with expert groups that have this capacity.” The platform facilitated access to multiomics analyses that combine genomic and protein data, allowing researchers to observe how cancer cells respond to treatments over time.
As they refine therapies that could be less toxic and more effective than chemotherapy, Aptadel also intends to share their findings with the broader scientific community. This collaborative spirit embodies the core principles of canSERV, which aims to enhance cancer research for the benefit of society as a whole.
More than 150 researchers from 25 countries have already benefited from canSERV, and the initiative’s organisers hope to extend its services beyond the planned end date in August 2026. The connections forged through this project are paving the way for new partnerships across Europe’s cancer research community.
Dr Torres remarked on the depth of evaluation made possible by canSERV. “We are generating new data and it’s our intention to make this data available – not just for us, but for all the scientific community.” By dismantling barriers and making cutting-edge research infrastructures accessible across borders, the canSERV platform is enabling Europe’s scientists to work together more effectively in pursuit of better cancer treatments.
