dr. Filip Matthijssens (PhD)
CRIG member
Postdoctoral researcher - Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Faculty Medicine and Health Sciences, UGent
(PI: prof. Pieter Van Vlierberghe)
Research focus
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive blood cancer arising from T-cell progenitors. The cure rate gradually increased over the past decades and more than 80% of children can be cured with intensive chemotherapy. However, the outcome of T-ALL patients with primary resistant or relapsed leukemia still remains poor. Therefore, the aim of my research is to unravel the molecular basis of high risk T-ALLs and to identify novel drug targets that may lead to the development of more effective and less toxic therapies.
Key publications
- Oncogenic ZEB activation drives sensitivity towards KDM1A inhibition in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia'. Blood, 2017. (PMID: 28069602)
- 'Targeting BET proteins improves the therapeutic efficacy of BCL-2 inhibition in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia'. Leukemia, 2017. (PMID:28074072)
- 'ZEB2 drives immature T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia development via enhanced tumour-initiating potential and IL-7 receptor signalling'. Nature Communications, 2015. (PMID:25565005)
- ABT-199 mediated inhibition of BCL-2 as a novel therapeutic strategy in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia'. Blood, 2014. (PMID: 25301704)
Contact & links
- UZ Gent - Medical research building 2 (entrance 38), Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent