Projects
MulTplex project: Development of a combinatorial multi-epitope T-cell receptor (TCR), non-signaling chimeric antigen receptor (NSCAR) and immunosuppressive immune checkpoint (IICP)-disrupted adoptive T-cell therapy against leukemia. University of Antwerp
Exploring co-encapsulation of antihistamines and immune checkpoint siRNAs in lipid nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy. Ghent University
Our group recently showed that cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) can complex nucleic acids in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for drug combination therapy. This project aims to evaluate this CAD-LNP platform in cancer immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), e.g. via PD-L1 antibodies, has demonstrated clinical efficacy, but is hampered by immune-related off-target effects following systemic exposure and low response rates due to an ...
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors induce endothelial inflammation as first step in cardiovascular side effects University of Antwerp
Generation of nanobodies against immunomodulating checkpoint receptors in glioblastoma tumor cells KU Leuven
Context - Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive intrinsic brain tumor in adults. In spite of maximal therapy consisting of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, GBM remains largely incurable with a median overall survival of less than 15 months. Preclinical and early clinical research in immunotherapy for brain tumors has a track record of almost 20 years and indicated that an immune reaction against the tumor in the brain can be ...
Single-cell profiling of tumor micro-environment dynamics during checkpoint immunotherapy. KU Leuven
The Laboratory for Translational Genetics (headed by Diether Lambrechts) aspires to tackle important questions in oncology by translating genome-scale data sets into clinically applicable knowledge. Our major focus is to characterize how the tumor micro-environment (TME) determines tumor behavior and response to anti-angiogenic and checkpoint immunotherapies, which are both frequently used in the clinic (alone or in combination). ...
Combining immune stimulation with inhibition of immune suppression to boost innate immunity in cancer. University of Antwerp
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 ...