Our Vision

By developing predictive profiles based on microenvironmental tumor characteristics (VAMP: Vascular Architecture and Microenvironmental Parameters), we expect to better be able to guide treatment selection and optimization for patients on an individual basis.

Current topics we focus on are:

• analyzing EGFR signaling related to radiation resistance (PI3-K/AKT pathway related to tumor vasculature)
• proliferation and hypoxia involvement
• non-invasive imaging of the tumor microenvironment (vasculature, hypoxia, proliferation and the EGFR)
• assessment of endogenous markers related to tumor cell metabolism (lactate, monocarboxylate transporters etc)

 

Furthermore, clinical therapy could be much improved when the knowledge gathered in fundamental immunological studies is translated into clinical immunotherapy studies. In this light, our research interests focuses on the molecular analysis of professional antigen presenting dendritic cells and Myeloid and T-regulatory cells, and their function in the immune system in health and disease.

Major current projects include:

• functional analysis of DC-SCRIPT in dendritic cell biology and cancer
• pre-clinical mouse studies on cancer ablation by Radiotherapy or HIFU to create in situ cancer vaccines to induce the abscopal effect
• development of immuno-combination therapies aiming to induce anti-tumor immune responses and to reverse the immune suppressive tumor microenvironment, including sialic acid blockade and HDAC inhibition