Laure De Smet
Doctoral fellow - Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Lab for Radiopharmacy (UGent), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Principal investigators: Prof. Filip De Vos (PhD), Prof. Christian Vanhove (PhD) and Prof. Robrecht Raedt (PhD)
Research focus
Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor (50.1%) and is characterized by rapid growth and invasiveness, leading to poor prognosis. Standard treatment, which includes surgery, radiotherapy, and temozolomide (TMZ), frequently results in tumor recurrence. While advancements in radiopharmaceuticals, such as novel isotopes and targeting agents, offer new therapeutic options, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-tumor barrier (BTB) limit their effective delivery to the tumor.
In my preclinical research, I aim to evaluate transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS)-assisted targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) with radiolabeled immunoconjugates (225Ac, 177Lu, 161Tb) targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the F98 rat glioblastoma model. Additionally, intra-carotid artery (ICA) injection is intended to enhance delivery to the tumor. FUS has already demonstrated potential for increasing BBB/BTB permeability and improving drug delivery to the brain, and ICA injection has shown promise for delivering chemotherapeutics and radiolabeled agents to brain tumors. However, studies combining FUS, ICA, and TRT are currently lacking and represent a significant research opportunity with potential implications for patient survival and quality of life.
The primary objectives of this study are to determine if combining FUS with TRT improves uptake and radiation dose to the tumor through BBB/BTB disruption, assess the impact of ICA injection on tumor dose, establish the maximum tolerated dose for each radionuclide, and examine how immunoconjugate size (monoclonal antibody vs. nanobody) affects radiation delivery to tumor and healthy tissue. In addition, I will monitor tumor response and survival to evaluate treatment efficacy. Secondary objectives include investigating toxicity in healthy brain tissue and assessing potential adverse effects in other critical organs.
Biography
- 2024: Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences at Ghent University
Contact & links
- Lab address: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, B-9000 Gent (FW02)
- 4BRAIN lab
- Infinity Lab
- Laure De Smet is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks