Namur Cancer Research Pole
Mission
One of the major challenges in cancer research is to better understand and overcome cancer resistance to conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, but also to targeted therapies. The Cancer Research Pole therefore supports research on the mechanisms underlying cancer cell resistance, the identification of new targets, and the development of new drugs or alternative strategies to treat resistant cancers. Understanding the mechanisms behind cancer development and metastasis is another goal of the NARILIS cancer research pole.
Research topics
Unravelling the mechanisms of resistance of cancer cells to anti-cancer treatment
- Identification of tumor proteins responsible for cancer resistance: role of TMEM45A
- Understanding the role of the immune system in cancer resistance: role of macrophages
- Molecular and functional characterization of the ABCB5 transporter: a potential new tumor suppressor in melanoma
- Development of a murine model of hepatocellular carcinoma
Development of new treatment strategies against cancers
- Combining nanotechnology and protontherapy for a more efficient treatment of cancer
- Optimization of radiation therapy of head and neck cancers
- Development of new anti-cancer drugs: harmine derivatives, IDO inhibitors, inhibitors of the serine metabolic pathway and inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase for epigenetic cancer therapy
- Identification of strategies to re-sensitize tumor cells resistant to chemotherapy
- Combining drugs targeting DNA repair response to induce synthetic lethality
- Understanding the role of FAK as a new target in small cell lung cancer
- Clinical studies for immunotherapy in several types of cancer
Understanding the mechanisms behind cancer development and metastasis
- Investigation of the role of hypoxia and inflammation as tumor growth drivers
- Understanding the role of miRs in virus-induced cancers
- Identification of mitochondrial proteins responsible for cancer cell proliferation: role of MPV17
- Contributing role of extracellular vesicles on vascular endothelium haemostatic balance as well as in the procoagulation state in various types of cancer
Publications
Members
UNamur
DE BACKER Olivier | Functions of MAGE / BOD1 proteins
DOGNE Jean-Michel | Laboratory investigations in hemostasis
DOUXFILS Jonathan | Laboratory investigations in hemostasis
GILLET Jean-Pierre | Molecular cancer biology
GILLET Nicolas | Immunity and viruses
HEUSKIN Anne-Catherine | Radiobiology and radiation therapy research
LUCAS Stéphane | Radiobiology and radiation therapy research
MICHIELS Carine | Tumor hypoxia
MUYLKENS Benoît | Viral infections at the human-animal interface
POCHET Lionel | Computer-aided and fragment-based drug design
WOUTERS Johan | Structural biological chemistry and structure-based drug design
CHU UCL Namur
GRAUX Carlos | Onco-hematology & Immunotherapy
MULLIER François | Clinical laboratory hematology & hemostasis
VANDER BORGHT Thierry | Nuclear medicine in oncology