Projects
The malignant Glioma immuno-oncology matchmaker: towards data-driven precision medicine using spatially resolved radio-multiomics KU Leuven
Adult and paediatric malignant glioma (GBM and pHGG) remain among the most difficult-to-treat cancers with 5-year survival rates of <5% despite intensive standard-of-care therapy. The differences among patients and the heterogeneous and plastic nature of each individual tumour have resulted in all therapeutic clinical trials failing during the past 20 years. Recently, immunotherapy has been showing great promise, but only in subsets of ...
Improving immuno-oncology diagnostics by high-dimensional correlation analysis of histopathology and proteomics data in breast cancer samples KU Leuven
Breast cancer remains the most frequent malignancy in women and is characterized by complex underlying molecular mechanisms. While major steps have been taken to manage the disease, patients still die, explaining why more research is needed to better characterize, diagnose and treat patients with tailored-made approaches. Defining the right pathological diagnosis remains a key feature in this process as it largely defines the right prognosis ...
A Tumor Immune Micro Environment (TIME)-on-chip: an in vitro model for immuno-oncology and immunotherapy screening KU Leuven
The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) plays an important role in cancer development, progression, and response to therapy. The microenvironment can elicit pro- or anti-tumoral responses, depending on the cellular and non-cellular components involved in it. Cancer immunotherapy, which mobilizes the body’s immune system to fight cancer, has been proven to be both effective and unsuccessful in a clinical setting, depending on the nature of ...
Strengthening the UGent patent position on an improved cultivation method for adoptive cell therapies (immuno-oncology). Ghent University
The researchers have developed an improved culture method for natural killer (NK) immune cells for use in adoptive cell therapy, and further research will be carried out to strengthen the Ghent University patent position.
Immuno-ecology of viral infections in the multimammate mouse Mastomys natalensis: characterisation of of class I and class II MHC genes. University of Antwerp
Deep multi-omics dissection of the CD8+T-cell immune-landscape in colorectal cancer (CRC) to reveal tumor-specific vs. microbial immune- drivers for immuno-oncological application KU Leuven
The main goal of this project is to comprehensively delineate novel, unanticipated, quantitative and qualitative features of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients’ CD8+T-cells, responding to both tumoral antigens or gut microbiome depending on CRC tumor-subtypes, and differentially modulating immunotherapy-response. With this project I will 1) Characterize the functional signaling drivers of CD8+T-cells activation and potential impact on CRC ...
Cellular stress and immunity in health & disease: From multimodal molecular signalling to translational impact KU Leuven
Our cells are constantly challenged with diverse kinds of lethal or non-lethal stress. The cellular response to stress entails intense intra-cellular communication (e.g., survival vs. cell death) that eventually expands toward inter-cellular communication monitored by our immune system. A combination of early (innate) and latent (adaptive) immune responses constantly sense and react to such stress and strive to eliminate its origin. However, ...
International thematic network - PrIOMIC Ghent University
CRIG obtained funding from Ghent University to set up an International Thematic Network (ITN) on 'Precision oncology, Immuno-Oncology and Modeling in Cancer', called ‘PrIOMiC’. The aim of the PrIOMiC network is to strengthen CRIG’s international collaborative network with experts from renowned cancer research institutes on these themes. Through this network, we aim to promote excellent research, education & societal impact. On the long ...
Extending the Amalus drug discovery program: validation studies for immuno-oncological and fibrosis indications to increase the IP and investment value Ghent University
In the Amalus drug discovery program (StepStone), we pursue the establishment of a spin-off company to progress cell-selective inhibitors to clinical trials. This ConcepTT project will increase the IP and investment value of the program.
Our inhibitors possess unique features with respect to competition and represent a first-in-class opportunity.
As single agents, our molecules inhibit metastasis in vivo. In the StepStone ...