Tine Depickere

Soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare and heterogeneous malignancies that originate from the mesenchymal tissues of the body. Currently, more than 70 subtypes of STS are known. The standard of care for most STS subtypes still relies primarily on surgical resection. Unfortunately, clinical outcomes remain poor as more than 50% of patients develop metastatic disease within two years after diagnosis. Once metastases occur, therapeutic options are limited. Many patients receive systemic treatment such as chemotherapy, but its effectiveness is low and treatment is often accompanied by considerable toxicity. This lack of effective therapies underscores a major clinical challenge. Given the rarity and heterogeneity of STS, there is a need for relevant tumor models that accurately capture patient-specific tumor behavior. Such models are essential for improving our understanding of STS biology and for enabling the discovery of new therapeutic strategies. 
Therefore, my project focuses on the development and optimization of ex vivo and in vivo patient-derived tumor models that represent the patient’s disease. These models are used to identify and evaluate novel treatment approaches for STS.
 

In 2020, I started my academic journey at Ghent University, where I studied Biomedical Sciences and obtained my Master of Science degree in 2025. After graduating, I continued my academic career at the Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research (LECR) as a PhD student. In addition to conducting my doctoral research, I am part of the Assisting Academic Staff, where I guide students during various practical courses.
 

• Lab address: 
  Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, 
  Department of Human Structure and Repair, 
  Campus UZ Gent, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, The Core, entrance 37, 9000 Gent, Belgium
• Laboratory for Experimental Cancer Research
• LinkedIn
• Member of the Consortium for Sarcoma Research Ghent (ConSaRGhent)
• Tine Depickere is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks