- Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
- Occupational and environmental lung diseases
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
- CAR-T cell therapy research
- Pleural and Pulmonary Diseases
- Hematological disorders and diagnostics
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Cancer Research and Treatments
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Sarcoma Diagnosis and Treatment
- Plasma Applications and Diagnostics
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment
- Phagocytosis and Immune Regulation
- Drug-Induced Adverse Reactions
- Heme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon Monoxide
- Neurofibromatosis and Schwannoma Cases
- Tumors and Oncological Cases
- Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Immunodeficiency and Autoimmune Disorders
- Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research
- Immune cells in cancer
- Infectious Diseases and Mycology
University of Antwerp
2016-2025
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
2023-2025
VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research
2023-2025
University of Minho
2015
Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
2015
Abstract Background It remains challenging to obtain positive outcomes with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered cell therapies in solid malignancies, like colorectal cancer (CRC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A major obstacle is the lack of targetable surface antigens that are not shared by healthy tissues. CD70 emerges as interesting target, due its stringent expression pattern tissue apparent role tumor progression a considerable amount malignancies. Moreover, also...
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive cancers with a low response to treatment and five-year survival rate below 5%. The ineffectiveness partly because an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which comprises tumor-supportive pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are needed tackle both PSC cancer (PCCs). Recently, physical cold atmospheric plasma consisting reactive oxygen nitrogen species has emerged as novel option for...
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis and increasing incidence, for which novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required. Since the immune system has been described to play presumed role in protection against MPM, characterization of its tumor microenvironment (TME) checkpoints can identify new immunotherapeutic targets their predictive and/or prognostic value.To characterize TME checkpoint expression profile, we performed immunohistochemistry...
In this paper, two types of melanoma and glioblastoma cancer cell lines are treated with cold atmospheric plasma to assess the effect several parameters on viability. The viability decreases treatment duration time until analysis in all varying sensitivity. majority dead cells stains both AnnexinV (AnnV) propidium iodide, indicating that plasma‐treated non‐viable mostly late apoptotic or necrotic. Genetic mutations might be involved response plasma. Comparing effects gas mixtures, as well...
// Jonas R.M. Van Audenaerde 1 , Jorrit De Waele Elly Marcq Jinthe Loenhout Eva Lion 2 Johan M.J. den Bergh Ralf Jesenofsky 3 Atsushi Masamune 4 Geert Roeyen 5 Patrick Pauwels 1, 6 Filip Lardon Marc Peeters 7 and Evelien L.J. Smits Center for Oncological Research, Faculty of Medicine Health Sciences, University Antwerp, Belgium Laboratory Experimental Hematology, Department II, Medical Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany Division Gastroenterology, Tohoku Graduate School Medicine, Sendai, Japan...
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer with increasing incidence, poor prognosis and limited effective treatment options. Hence, new strategies are warranted which include immune checkpoint blockade approaches encouraging preliminary data. Research on the immunological aspects of easily accessible microenvironment could identify prognostic and/or predictive biomarkers provide useful insights for developing immunotherapy. In this context, we investigated cell composition...
Auranofin (AF) is a potent, off-patent thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) inhibitor that efficiently targets cancer via reactive oxygen species (ROS)- and DNA damage-mediated cell death. The goal of this study to enhance the efficacy AF as treatment by combining it with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP) olaparib (referred 'aurola'). Firstly, we investigated whether mutant p53 can sensitize non-small lung (NSCLC) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells in knock-in knock-out models varying...
Prognosis of glioblastoma remains dismal, underscoring the need for novel therapies. Immunotherapy is generating promising results, but requires combination strategies to unlock its full potential. We investigated immunomodulatory capacities poly(I:C) on primary human cells and combinatorial potential with programmed death ligand (PD-L) blockade. In our experiments, stimulated expression both PD-L1 PD-L2 cells, a pro-inflammatory secretome, including type I interferons (IFN) chemokines...
With the poorest 5-year survival of all cancers, improving treatment for pancreatic cancer is one biggest challenges in research. We sought to explore potential combining both priming and activation immune system. To achieve this, we combined a CD40 agonist with interleukin-15 tested its cancer.Response this combination regimen was assessed ductal adenocarcinoma mouse models, thorough analysis tumor microenvironment performed.We demonstrated profound reduction growth increased mice majority...
Melanoma remains a deadly cancer despite significant advances in immune checkpoint blockade and targeted therapies. The incidence of melanoma is also growing worldwide, which highlights the need for novel treatment options strategic combination Here, we investigate non-thermal plasma (NTP), an ionized gas, as promising, therapeutic option. In mouse model, direct tumors with NTP results reduced tumor burden prolonged survival. Physical characterization situ reveals deposited energy...
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer that causally associated with previous asbestos exposure in most afflicted patients. The prognosis of patients remains dismal, a median overall survival only 9–12 months, due to the limited effectiveness any conventional anti-cancer treatment. New therapeutic strategies are needed complement armamentarium against MPM. We decided focus on combination different immune checkpoint (IC) blocking antibodies (Abs). Programmed death-1...
Background Antibodies that target immune checkpoints such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein/ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) are approved for treatment of multiple cancer types. Chemotherapy is often administered with checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies CTLA-4 and/or PD-(L)1. ICB targeting other activating gene-3 (LAG-3) has the potential to improve antitumor responses when combined chemotherapy. Response anti-PD-1 dependent on progenitor exhausted CD8 + cells...
The development of standardised, reproducible preclinical models is essential for advancing pleural mesothelioma (PM) research. Here, we present a simple and reliable minimally invasive transthoracic intrapleural injection technique that could improve the efficiency orthotopic PM model generation. By incorporating needle sleeve to control depth, this method eliminates need surgery or general anaesthesia, reducing technical complexity animal stress while ensuring precise delivery into cavity....
Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure, with limited treatment options and poor prognosis, highlighting the need for more effective therapies. Combining immune checkpoint blockade anti-angiogenic therapy has shown potential in other cancers. Our study investigated combined inhibition of PD-L1 VEGFR2 a mouse model PM. Using C57BL/6 mice subcutaneous AE17 tumors, we assessed effects anti-PD-L1 induction, concomitant, or consolidation anti-VEGFR2...
Purpose: Patients with cancer display reduced humoral responses after double-dose COVID-19 vaccination, whereas their cellular response is more comparable that in healthy individuals. Recent studies demonstrated a third vaccination dose boosts these immune responses, both people and patients cancer. Because of the availability many different vaccines, have been boosted vaccine from one used for vaccination. Data on such alternative schedules are scarce. This prospective study compares...
Buruli Ulcer (BU) is a necrotizing skin disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans infection. BU characterized wide range of clinical forms, including non-ulcerative cutaneous lesions that can evolve into severe ulcers if left untreated. Nevertheless, spontaneous healing has been reported to occur, although knowledge on this process scarce both in naturally infected humans and experimental models Animal are useful since they mimic different spectrums human have the potential elucidate...
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a lethal cancer for which early-stage diagnosis remains major challenge. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath proved to be potential biomarkers MPM diagnosis, but translational studies are needed elucidate VOCs originate from the tumor itself and thus specifically related cell metabolism.An vitro model was set-up characterize headspace VOC profiles of six two lung lines using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A comparative...
Abstract Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is an aggressive cancer of the serosal lining thoracic cavity, predominantly caused by asbestos exposure. Due to nonspecific symptoms, PM characterized advanced-stage diagnosis, resulting in a dismal prognosis. However, early diagnosis improves patient outcome. Currently, no diagnostic biomarkers or screening tools are available. Therefore, exhaled breath was explored as this can easily be obtained and contains volatile organic compounds, which considered...
Targeting molecular alterations has been proven to be an inflecting point in tumor treatment. Especially recent years, inhibitors that target the tyrosine receptor kinase show excellent response rates and durable effects all kind of tumors harbor fusions one three neurotrophic genes ( NTRK1 , NTRK2 NTRK3 ). Today, therapeutic options most metastatic sarcomas are rather limited. Therefore, identifying which sarcoma types more likely these targetable NTRK is paramount importance. At moment,...