Jean-Pierre Bourquin

Jean-Pierre Bourquin
EducationMedicine (MD) (1992)
MD-PhD (1996)
Alma materUniversity of Zurich
Known forFunctional Precision Oncology
Drug Response Profiling (DRP)
Transcriptional and epigenetic dependencies in high-risk leukemia
AwardsWalter and Gertrud Siegenthaler Research Award (2011)
Kind-Philipp-Award (2009)
Scientific career
FieldsPediatric oncology
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Precision medicine
Cancer Research
InstitutionsUniversity Children's Hospital Zurich
University of Zurich
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Thesis Infection prophylaxis in chronic granulomatous disease: clinical efficacy of co-trimoxazole and recombinant human interferon gamma  (1997)
Doctoral advisorReinhard Seger
Other academic advisorsStuart Orkin
Websitehttps://www.kispi.uzh.ch/kinderspital/person/bourquin-md-phd-jean-pierre

Jean-Pierre Bourquin is a Swiss pediatric oncologist. He is a Professor of Pediatric Oncology at the University of Zurich and the Chief Physician (Chefarzt) of the Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology and Cellular Therapies at the University Children's Hospital Zurich.[1][2] His research focuses on the oncogenic transcriptional, epigenetic and posttranscriptional mechanisms in childhood leukemia and translation in innovative therapies and precision precision medicine.[2] Since 2026, he is the director of the Swiss National Competence Center for Research "Children & Cancer" funded by the SNFS.[3]

Career

In 1992, Bourquin obtained his Swiss Federal Diploma in Medicine and completed his MD thesis on "Infection prophylaxis in chronic granulomatous disease: clinical efficacy of co-trimoxazole and recombinant human interferon gamma" with Prof. Reinhard Seger at the University of Zurich.[4] He subsequently enrolled in an M.D.-Ph.D. program, earning a doctorate in natural sciences (Dr. sc. nat.) at the University of Zurich in 1996 with a thesis on "Isolation of large serine/arginine-rich proteins that interact with the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II" supervised by Walter Schaffner and Jeffry L. Corden.[5]

Following his residency in pediatrics (1997–2000), he completed a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at the Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School from 2000 to 2004.[6][7] During this time, he conducted postdoctoral research on molecular subtypes of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia in the laboratory of Stuart Orkin at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.[8][9]

He received board certification in Pediatrics in 2002 and in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology in 2006.[1] Bourquin completed his Habilitation at the University of Zurich in 2010.[10]

At the University Children's Hospital Zurich, Bourquin served as a Senior Consultant Physician (Oberarzt) from 2004 to 2013 and as a Senior Physician (Leitender Arzt) from 2014 to 2020, where he built an program for hematologic malignancies.[11] On February 1, 2020, he was appointed Head of Oncology (Chefarzt).[12] Concurrently, he was appointed Extraordinary Professor of Pediatric Oncology at the University of Zurich in 2020, having previously served as an Adjunct Professor (Titularprofessor) since 2017.[13]

Bourquin holds several leadership roles in international research consortia. Since 2019, he has chaired the Resistant Disease Committee of the International BFM Study Group (I-BFM).[14] In 2020, he became the Chair of the Scientific Working Group on Precision Hematology of the European Hematology Association (EHA) and he was EHA board member from 2021-2025.[15]

In 2026, he was appointed director along with Rafaele Renella (as co-director) of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) "Children & Cancer," a long-term funding instrument by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).[3]

Research

Bourquin's research focuses on the biology of very high-risk and drug-resistant leukemias. His laboratory investigates transcriptional dependencies in leukemia, such as the mechanisms driven by TCF3-HLF fusion proteins, and the role of the leukemia microenvironment in sustaining disease progression.[16]

His group developed "Drug Response Profiling" (DRP), a functional precision medicine platform. This method involves the ex vivo screening of primary patient leukemia cells against libraries of therapeutic agents to identify individual drug sensitivities.[17] The platform utilizes automated high-content microscopy to assess cell viability in co-cultures with mesenchymal stromal cells, aiming to replicate the bone marrow microenvironment.[18] This approach has been incorporated into international clinical programs for refractory and drug-resistant leukemia. His research group established an international Federated Acute Leukemia Board and a DRP registry to harmonize clinical data and guide precision medicine strategies. These initiatives are supported by funding from Horizon Europe's IntReALL program.[19] The DRP platform serves multiple clinical trials including the Platform-based trial HemiSmart.[20][21]

Public reporting on his clinical work has included coverage of complex pediatric leukemia cases and the development of new therapies in Swiss national media.[22][23][24] In a guest commentary in the Swiss daily newspaper NZZ, he elaborates on the importance of pediatric cancer research.[25]

Distinctions

  • 2011: Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler Research Award[26]
  • 2009: Kind-Philipp-Award (shared with Laura Bonapace and Beat Bornhauser) for research on overcoming glucocorticoid resistance in leukemia.[27]

Selected works

  • Zeckanovic, Aida; Mouttet, Brice; Vinti, Luciana; Ancliff, Philip; Brethon, Benoît; Cario, Gunnar; Elitzur, Sarah; Hazar, Volkan; Kunz, Joachim; Möricke, Anja; Stein, Jerry; Yaman, Yöntem; Buechner, Jochen; Hjort, Magnus Aasved; O’Connor, David (2025-02-06). "Update on long-term outcomes of a cohort of patients with TCF3::HLF positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with blinatumomab and stem cell transplantation". Haematologica. doi:10.3324/haematol.2024.286111. ISSN 1592-8721.
  • Huang, Yun; Mouttet, Brice; Warnatz, Hans-Jörg; Risch, Thomas; Rietmann, Fabian; Frommelt, Fabian; Ngo, Quy A.; Dobay, Maria Pamela; Marovca, Blerim; Jenni, Silvia; Tsai, Yi-Chien; Matzk, Sören; Amstislavskiy, Vyacheslav; Schrappe, Martin; Stanulla, Martin (2019-12-01). "The Leukemogenic TCF3-HLF Complex Rewires Enhancers Driving Cellular Identity and Self-Renewal Conferring EP300 Vulnerability". Cancer Cell. 36 (6): 630–644.e9. doi:10.1016/j.ccell.2019.10.004.
  • Fischer, Ute; Forster, Michael; Rinaldi, Anna; Risch, Thomas; Sungalee, Stéphanie; Warnatz, Hans-Jörg; Bornhauser, Beat; Gombert, Michael; Kratsch, Christina; Stütz, Adrian M; Sultan, Marc; Tchinda, Joelle; Worth, Catherine L; Amstislavskiy, Vyacheslav; Badarinarayan, Nandini (2015-09-01). "Genomics and drug profiling of fatal TCF3-HLF−positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia identifies recurrent mutation patterns and therapeutic options". Nature Genetics. 47 (9): 1020–1029. doi:10.1038/ng.3362. ISSN 1061-4036.
  • Frismantas, V.; Bourquin, J.P.; et al. (2017). "Ex vivo drug response profiling detects recurrent sensitivity patterns in drug-resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia". Blood. 129 (11): e26–e37. doi:10.1182/blood-2016-09-738070.
  • Bonapace, L.; Bourquin, J.P.; et al. (2010). "Induction of autophagy-dependent necroptosis is required for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells to overcome glucocorticoid resistance". Journal of Clinical Investigation. 120 (4): 1310–1323. doi:10.1172/JCI39987.

References

  1. ^ a b "Bourquin, MD-PhD Jean-Pierre | Kinderspital Zürich". www.kispi.uzh.ch (in German). Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  2. ^ a b "Bourquin Jean-Pierre". www.med.uzh.ch (in German). Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  3. ^ a b Swiss State Secretariat of Education, Research and Innovation SERI. "National Centre of Competence in Research "Children & Cancer"" (PDF). SBFI. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  4. ^ Bourquin, J.-P. (1992). Infektprophylaxe bei septischer Granulomatose : klinische Wirksamkeit von Co-Trimoxazol und rekombinantem humanem Gamma-Interferon. Diss. med. Univ. Zürich.
  5. ^ "Isolation of large serine/arginine-rich proteins that interact with the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II". uzb.swisscovery.ch. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
  6. ^ "Jean-Pierre Bourquin" (PDF). University Children's Hospital Zurich. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  7. ^ "Prof. Jean-Pierre Bourquin, MD, PhD". The Kaiya Foundation. 2021-11-26. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  8. ^ "Prof. Dr. med. Dr. sc. nat. Jean-Pierre Bourquin". University Children's Hospital Zurich. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  9. ^ Bourquin, Jean-Pierre; Subramanian, Aravind; Langebrake, Claudia; Reinhardt, Dirk; Bernard, Olivier; Ballerini, Paola; Baruchel, André; Cavé, Hélène; Dastugue, Nicole; Hasle, Henrik; Kaspers, Gertjan L.; Lessard, Michel; Michaux, Lucienne; Vyas, Paresh; van Wering, Elisabeth (2006-02-28). "Identification of distinct molecular phenotypes in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia by gene expression profiling". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 103 (9): 3339–3344. doi:10.1073/pnas.0511150103. PMC 1413912. PMID 16492768.
  10. ^ Bourquin, Jean-Pierre (2009). "Improved Models for Preclinical Evaluation of New Therapeutic Agents for Pediatric Hematologic Malignancies". eth.swisscovery.slsp.ch. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  11. ^ Bourquin, Jean-Pierre (2017-12-01). "A precision medicine approach to haematological malignancies". The Lancet Haematology. 4 (12): e567–e568. doi:10.1016/s2352-3026(17)30213-2. ISSN 2352-3026.
  12. ^ "Stärkung der patientennahen Forschung: GL und Schwerpunkt erweitert". University Children's Hospital Zurich. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  13. ^ "Ernennungen vom 16. Dezember 2019". www.news.uzh.ch (in German). 2019-12-17. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  14. ^ "Executive Board & Advisory Group". International BFM Study Group. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  15. ^ "Chairs and Members: Precision Hematology". European Hematology Association. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  16. ^ Fischer, U.; Bourquin, J.P.; et al. (2015). "Genomics and drug profiling of fatal TCF3-HLF−positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia identifies recurrent mutation patterns and therapeutic options". Nature Genetics. 47 (9): 1020–1029. doi:10.1038/ng.3362.
  17. ^ Steffen, Fabio D.; Lissat, Andrej; Alten, Julia; Eckert, Cornelia; Bodmer, Nicole; Thorhauge Als-Nielsen, Bodil E.; Balduzzi, Adriana; Buldini, Barbara; Elitzur, Sarah; Kriston, Andras; Nyiri, Gergely; Västrik, Imre; Kovacs, Ferenc; Ceppi, Francesco; Sramkova, Lucie (2023-11-02). "Drug Response Profiling Informs Personalized Bridging to Cell Therapy for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia". Blood. 142 (Supplement 1): 4350–4350. doi:10.1182/blood-2023-179306. ISSN 0006-4971.
  18. ^ Huang, Yun; Drakul, Aneta; Sidhu, Jasmeet; Rauwolf, Kerstin K.; Kim, James; Bornhauser, Beat; Bourquin, Jean-Pierre (2023-10-01). "MSC.sensor: Capturing cancer cell interactions with stroma for functional profiling". SLAS Discovery. 28 (7): 350–354. doi:10.1016/j.slasd.2023.08.003.
  19. ^ "Partners - IntReALL". intreall2020.eu. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  20. ^ Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology (2025-09-09). International Proof of Concept Therapeutic Stratification Trial of Molecular Anomalies in Relapsed or Refractory HEMatological Malignancies in Children, Subprotocol D: Trametinib + Dexamethasone + Cyclophosphamide and Cytarabine in Pediatric Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Hematological Malignancies (Report). clinicaltrials.gov.
  21. ^ University Children's Hospital, Zurich (2024-08-12). Drug Response Profiling (DRP) Registry Zurich for Hematological Malignancies (Report). clinicaltrials.gov.
  22. ^ "Die unglaubliche Heilung des Peter Rohr". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). 2019-07-28. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  23. ^ Kinder-Leukämie – Kann Liam geholfen werden? - Puls - Play SRF. Retrieved 2026-02-13 – via www.srf.ch.
  24. ^ Schnydrig, Stephanie (2026-02-04). "Kinderkrebs ist selten und komplex – wie Ärztinnen und Ärzte den Überblick behalten wollen". Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  25. ^ Bourquin, Jean-Pierre (2025-05-23). "Kinderkrebsmedizin: warum die Schweiz den Anschluss verliert". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  26. ^ "Ehrendoktortitel für zehn ausgezeichnete Persönlichkeiten". www.news.uzh.ch (in German). 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
  27. ^ "Kind-Philipp-Preis für Leukämieforscher aus Zürich". Informationsdienst Wissenschaft. 2010-06-03. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
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