Projects
RESPONSE PREDICTION IN METASTATIC RENAL CELL CARCINOMA TREATED WITH ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR TARGETED THERAPY AND/OR IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS KU Leuven
Implementation of a longitudinal multi-omics prediction model for response to immune checkpoint inhibition Ghent University
Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is becoming the systemic “standard of care” for an increasing number of cancer patients. The purpose of this treatment is boosting the host immune system to destroy the cancer cells but, unfortunately, it is very costly and only a fraction of patients (20-40%) show response. Accurate and rapid prediction of response could avoid undergoing this costly treatment unnecessarily while enabling ...
Understanding non-genetic processes remodelling the tumor ecosystem, cancer cell death and immune escape mechanisms KU Leuven
Efficient tumor clearance by anticancer therapies requires effective therapy-mediated debulking along with the engagement of the immune system. The induction of regulated cancer cell death (RCD) able to reinstate, rather than suppressing, anticancer immune responses -so called immunogenic cell death - is therefore a highly desirable therapeutic effect. However, the recognition and clearance of residual cancer cells by the immune system, ...
REACTION: A modular mRNA-encoded artificial receptor for focused re-ignition of anti-cancer immune responses Ghent University
Cancer immunotherapy in today’s clinical practice consists mostly of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which act by reactivating exhausted T-cells in and around the tumor. These drugs can produce considerable systemic side effects, and a large proportion of tumors are immune “cold” and lack T-cells, precluding any therapeutic efficacy. We have observed that vaccination using dendritic cells activated by a TLR4 ligand and interferon gamma can ...
Combined targeting of the epidermal growth factor receptor and the innate immune system: a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of head and neck cancer. University of Antwerp
SRP-Onderzoekszwaartepunt: Exploiting Peptides: Protein Binders, Modulators and Inhibitors for Imaging and Therapy [Exploit-PeptIT] Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Developing a novel synergistic approach of chemotherapy and immunotherapy to enhance the anti-tumor immune response in non-small cell lung cancer. University of Antwerp
PRECISION IMMUNE-ENGINEERING OF THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT Ghent University
Immunotherapy holds the potential to dramatically improve the
curative prognosis of cancer patients. However, despite significant
progress, a huge gap remains to be bridged to gain broad success in
the clinic. A first limiting factor in cancer immunotherapy is the low
response rate in a large fraction of the patients. The second limiting
factor is immune-related toxicity that can cause live-threatening ...
Non-invasive prediction of immunotherapy response for lung cancer patients Ghent University
An increasing number of patients with, amongst others, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma and bladder cancer, undergoes treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Globally speaking, 20 to 45% of patients will respond to this class of medicines in mono- or combination therapy. Nevertheless, existing predictive biomarkers cannot accurately separate non-responders from responders and require invasive tumor tissue sampling. Lately, ...