Creating the best environment to stop cancer cells is a mission driving cutting-edge research at the University of Galway, where Dr. Eva Szegezdi, a lecturer in biochemistry, is making waves. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Szegezdi leads a lab focused on understanding the micro-environment where cancer thrives—particularly in blood cancers like acute myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma. Her work, spotlighted in The Irish Times on April 9, 2025, reveals that tackling cancer isn’t just about targeting the cells themselves; it’s about transforming the surroundings that nurture them. Here’s how her research is reshaping cancer treatment—and what it means for the future.

Table of Contents

1. Creating the Best Environment to Stop Cancer Cells: Why It Matters
2. Meet Dr. Eva Szegezdi: A Trailblazer in Cancer Research
3. The Cancer Micro-Environment Explained
4. Blood Cancers: A Unique Challenge
5. Precision Oncology and Collaborative Innovation
6. Overcoming Research Roadblocks
7. Conclusion: A Hopeful Path Forward

1. Creating the Best Environment to Stop Cancer Cells: Why It Matters

Creating the best environment to stop cancer cells is a game-changer in modern medicine. Dr. Eva Szegezdi believes that cancer doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s propped up by its surroundings, like the bone marrow in blood cancers. Her research shows that this micro-environment evolves to protect cancer, shielding it from treatments like chemotherapy. By disrupting this support system, we can weaken cancer’s defenses and boost the odds of beating it. This approach flips the script on traditional therapies, offering hope where resistance once ruled.

For patients, this could mean more effective treatments with fewer relapses. For scientists, it’s a call to rethink how we attack cancer—at its roots, not just its surface.

2. Meet Dr. Eva Szegezdi: A Trailblazer in Cancer Research

Dr. Eva Szegezdi’s journey began in Hungary, where she earned her PhD in 2000, studying cell death signaling. She landed in Galway 22 years ago to join Professor Afshin Samali’s lab, initially planning a three-year stint. Today, she’s a cornerstone of the University of Galway’s Apoptosis Research Centre, heading her own lab. Her focus? Creating the best environment to stop cancer cells by decoding the tumor niche.

As Head of Blood Cancer Network Ireland and a key player in Precision Oncology Ireland, Dr. Szegezdi bridges lab discoveries with real-world impact. Her passion for travel and history fuels her curiosity, but it’s her love for solving complex biological puzzles that drives her groundbreaking work.

3. The Cancer Micro-Environment Explained

Think of the cancer micro-environment as a cozy hideout. In blood cancers, the bone marrow becomes a fortress, nurturing malignant cells and helping them dodge drugs. Dr. Szegezdi’s team studies how this niche adapts—releasing chemicals, altering cell signals, and even recruiting healthy cells to shield the cancer. Creating the best environment to stop cancer cells means dismantling this fortress.

Her lab uses donated bone marrow samples from Blood Cancer Biobank Ireland to map these interactions. The goal? Identify weak spots—specific proteins or pathways—that can be targeted to starve cancer of its support, making it vulnerable to attack.

4. Blood Cancers: A Unique Challenge

Blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma are sneaky. Unlike solid tumors, they spread through the bloodstream and bone marrow, making them harder to pin down. Dr. Szegezdi’s research zeroes in on this fluidity, exploring how the bone marrow environment fosters cancer growth. Creating the best environment to stop cancer cells here requires a dual approach: kill the cancer and neutralize its allies.

Her work with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) shows promise. By tweaking the bone marrow niche, her team aims to sensitize cancer cells to therapies they’d otherwise resist. It’s a delicate balance—disrupt the environment without harming healthy blood production.

5. Precision Oncology and Collaborative Innovation

Dr. Szegezdi’s efforts are supercharged by Precision Oncology Ireland, a program uniting researchers across institutions. This collaboration pools resources—like the Blood Cancer Biobank—to test new therapies fast. Creating the best environment to stop cancer cells isn’t a solo act; it’s a team sport. Her lab’s findings are inching closer to clinical trials, with companies eyeing her discoveries for real-world applications.

One exciting avenue? Engineering immune cells, like NK cells, to attack cancer while leaving healthy cells alone. This precision could revolutionize treatment, offering hope to patients who’ve exhausted standard options.

6. Overcoming Research Roadblocks

Complexity is the biggest hurdle, says Dr. Szegezdi. Cancer’s micro-environment is a tangled web—when one experiment fails, unraveling why takes time and patience. Yet, she thrives on the challenge. Creating the best environment to stop cancer cells means navigating dead ends to find breakthroughs. When a hypothesis clicks, and the data aligns, it’s a thrill that fuels her team.

Funding and sample access also pose challenges, but partnerships with groups like the Irish Cancer Society help. The payoff? Therapies that don’t just manage cancer but aim to eradicate it by targeting its life support.

7. Conclusion: A Hopeful Path Forward

Creating the best environment to stop cancer cells is more than a scientific quest—it’s a lifeline for millions. Dr. Eva Szegezdi’s work at the University of Galway proves that understanding cancer’s surroundings could unlock its defeat. From the bone marrow niche to precision therapies, her research offers a roadmap to outsmart this disease.

For patients and families, this means hope—treatments tailored to dismantle cancer’s defenses. For the rest of us, it’s a call to support science that’s pushing boundaries. Learn more about cancer research advancements at Irish Cancer Society. Together, we can turn the tide.