Claire van de Meerendonk

CRIG member
Claire van de Meerendonk


Doctoral Fellow 
- Lab of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicines and Microbiotechnology Unit, Ghent University
- SCK CEN Belgian Nuclear Research Center Mol 
Principal Investigator: Prof. Stefaan de Smedt (PhD) and Prof. Koen Raemdonck (PhD)
 

Research focus

Glioblastoma (GBM) are highly aggressive primary brain tumors with limited treatment options and poor prognosis, affecting a significant number of patients each year. In Europe, around 20,000 to 25,000 new cases of glioblastoma are diagnosed each year. Median overall survival is approximately 14.6 months after diagnosis. The typical standard treatment, that has not been updated since more than 20 years, consists of surgical resection, external radiation therapy and concomitant chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ). However, most GBM remain incurable due to the highly invasive tumor growth pattern, the rate of tumor recurrence, treatment-induced treatment-resistance and limited drug penetration capacity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
Cell Membrane Coated Lanthanide NanoParticles (CMC-LnNP) doped with a therapeutic dose of radioactive Lu-177 or Tb-161 isotopes, hold the promise to overcome some hurdles of the standard treatment and to become the radiopharmaceutical of a new innovative Targeted RadioNuclide Therapy (TRNT). The small size of nanoparticles allows them to more easily pass the BBB. Proper engineered cell membrane coating can be added to ensure selective targeting and binding of the NPs with the GBM tumor and metastatic GBM tumor cells. In addition, such cell membrane coating will make the Lu-177 or Tb-161 doped LnNPs almost invisible for the immune system of the patient, reducing toxicity.
The aim of my PhD project is to contribute to the innovative design of a TRNT in which Lu-177 or Tb-161 doped CMC-LnNPs are used to optimally treat GBM. 
 

Contact & links