After many years of small pilot studies testing innovative strategies to apply cellular therapeutics to treat cancer, de Vries achieved a major breakthrough with the start of a large clinical trial with naturally circulating dendritic cells isolated from the blood which are activated to control tumor growth in melanoma patients. The trial is unique as the cost of the treatment is allowed for reimbursement into the national basic health insurance in the Netherlands. Translating basic research findings to the clinic and to implement it in the healthcare system is perhaps the ultimate goal for translational research scientists.