Zurich Expands Precision Oncology in a Pioneering Way – Four New Research Initiatives to Launch in 2026

With a targeted expansion of precision oncology, University of Medicine Zurich (UMZH) is strengthening its leading role in Swiss cancer medicine. Beginning 1 January 2026, four new highly innovative research projects will launch, further paving the way toward individually tailored cancer therapies. The goal is to sustainably improve care for patients in Zurich and across Switzerland.

The University of Medicine Zurich (UMZH) is making targeted investments in strategic centers to strengthen Zurich as a hub for research and innovation and to accelerate the translation of new medical approaches into patient care. Supported institutions include the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich (CCCZ), the Tumor Profiler Center (TPC) and The LOOP Zurich. These centers unite top expertise in precision medicine, oncology, data science and translational research, and play a vital role in developing and applying personalized diagnostics and treatment approaches in clinical practice.

Pooling Expertise for Better Cancer Treatments

For the first time, CCCZ, TPC and The LOOP are also structurally aligning their efforts by jointly supporting a translational cancer research consortium in Zurich. A total of 22 interdisciplinary teams—comprising scientists and physicians from UZH, ETH Zurich, and the four university hospitals—submitted proposals in a competitive call. Available funding enabled the support of four research projects across multiple funding lines (Lighthouse Projects, Clinical Trials, and Zurich Precision Oncology Consortiums).

An international expert panel evaluated all proposals and recommended the four highest-rated projects for funding—a challenging task given the uniformly high quality. These four highly innovative projects share a common goal: better, more personalized and more effective cancer treatments enabled through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Overview of the New Research Initiatives

Zurich Precision Oncology Consortium: INTeRCePT 3.0 – Dynamic, Individualized Risk Prediction to Improve Lymphoma Treatment

In the INTeRCePT project, physicians and scientists are developing personalized treatment methods for patients with lymphoma. More than 1,000 tumor and blood samples will be analyzed before and especially during therapy to detect early changes in the tumor and immune system. Using advanced computational models, a personalized risk profile will be created to indicate early whether a therapy is working. This allows patients to be switched more quickly to effective treatments, reduce side effects, and better control aggressive disease courses. Unlike traditional studies, this project examines not only individual time points but the entire disease trajectory, to identify the optimal treatment as early as possible.

"We aim to predict the course of lymphoma as early as possible, using high-resolution analyses before and immediately after therapy. We hope these studies will bring us an important step closer to personalized cancer treatment."

— Prof. Dr. med. Thorsten Zenz, Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, USZ

Lighthouse Project: MACROCURE – Phagocytes Against Cancer

Immunotherapies help the body fight cancer on its own. So far, research has focused mainly on T cells and antibodies that directly attack tumor cells. The MACROCURE project instead examines macrophages—"scavenger cells" that are often found in tumors and can be influenced by cancer cells. The focus is on three severe cancers: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and glioblastoma. The goal is to reprogram macrophages to actively destroy tumors or deliver drugs precisely to them. The most promising approaches will then be tested in early clinical trials.

"Our mission is to better understand tumor-infiltrating macrophages—so that we can target them and harness them in the fight against cancer."

— Prof. Dr. Anne Müller, Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, UZH

Clinical Trial: MIRACLE – A Phase I Trial Assessing the Safety and Immunological Effects of Multifunctional mRNA-Based CAR Immune Cells in Recurrent Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults and remains incurable despite surgery, radiation and chemotherapy—most patients survive only around 20 months. New treatments are urgently needed. One promising approach is CAR immune cells—patient-derived immune cells modified in the lab to recognize and eliminate cancer. A new technology makes it possible to manufacture these cells in just hours rather than weeks. In the MIRACLE Phase-I trial, these cells will be administered directly into the tumor area during surgery via a small catheter. The goal is to assess safety and determine whether the therapy can activate a long-lasting anti-tumor immune response.

"This study gives patients access to the world's first trial using multifunctional CAR immune cells for refractory glioblastoma."

— PD Dr. Tobias Weiss, Department of Neurology, USZ

Clinical Trial: BRAVE-Lung – Robot-Assisted Bronchoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation for Early-Stage Lung Cancer: A Novel Cancer Therapy

Lung cancer is often fatal because it tends to be diagnosed late. The Department of Pneumology at USZ was the first in Europe to introduce a robotic bronchoscopy system with integrated imaging, enabling precise and gentle examination of even the smallest lung lesions. The BRAVE-Lung study will test whether the same procedure can be used not only for diagnosis but also for treatment in a single minimally invasive intervention—without surgery. The tumor is reached through the airways and destroyed with heat (radiofrequency ablation). This approach may be especially suited for patients too frail for surgery. The study will include 40 patients and assess safety, efficacy, complications and real-world feasibility. If successful, this could establish a new, gentle therapy option for early-stage lung cancer.

"Our project introduces a new form of innovation in treating very early lung cancer by combining diagnosis and therapy in a single minimally invasive procedure—benefiting patients through gentler treatments, fewer risks and the chance of earlier, more effective intervention."

— PD Dr. Thomas Gaisl, Department of Pneumology, USZ

Zurich's Strategy for Precision Oncology

Together, CCCZ, TPC and The LOOP Zurich form a cross-institutional network that drives cancer research, cancer care, and technology and data-science innovation in precision oncology, while also strengthening the next generation of scientific leaders.

The CCCZ is an interdisciplinary oncology center of the University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Balgrist University Hospital and the University Children's Hospital Zurich. CCCZ combines clinical cancer care, research and education, treating over 4,000 new cancer patients annually, and plays a leading national role in personalized cancer therapy. Current precision oncology efforts include four lighthouse projects in metastasis research and immunotherapy. CCCZ also runs more than 80 interventional clinical trials per year, provides a specialized Sample Processing Lab, and is expanding its bioinformatics capabilities.

The LOOP Zurich is a joint center of Zurich's six academic institutions focused on precision medicine. Its aim is to better understand disease mechanisms using patient-related data. The LOOP supports translational precision medicine projects integrating basic research, bioinformatics and clinical application to develop new treatments. In oncology, three current projects address aggressive blood cancers in children and adults and the use of artificial intelligence for better treatment decisions. The LOOP is also building a shared Biomedical Informatics Platform and biobank infrastructure to enable future precision medicine research.

The Tumor Profiler Center (TPC) unites experts from UZH, USZ, ETH Zurich and University Hospital Basel. Using cutting-edge multi-omics technologies and AI methods, it develops new strategies to improve clinical decision-making and advance personalized cancer therapy. The TPC coordinated the landmark TuPro Study, where tumor samples were analyzed using nine parallel technologies within just four weeks, generating up to 43,000 data points per patient. TPC now leads the national SPO-NDS project (funded by SPHN and PHRT) to establish standardized multi-omics workflows and interoperable precision oncology data across Switzerland. In parallel, TPC is translating its technologies into clinical practice, including the OV Precision study for ovarian cancer and additional clinical trials evaluating whether multi-omics markers can improve treatment selection and outcomes. TuPro insights are feeding into next-generation clinical studies and profiling strategies to deepen understanding of tumor biology and develop clinically actionable predictive tools.