'Stichting tegen Kanker' awards 2022 for CRIG research

CRIG

Every two year, 'Stichting tegen Kanker' launches a call for both fundamental as translational/clinical cancer research projects. In 2022, 22.7 million euro was divided over 57 innovative and promising research projects at universities and university hospitals throughout the country. All results are publsihed on the website of 'Stichting tegen Kanker' via this link.
CRIG teams received a substantial portion of the available funding for the following projects:
 

Fundamental research:
 

  • Prof. Nico Callewaert - 'Arming therapeutic CAR-T cells with glyco-engineered suppressors of tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells'
  • Prof. Dirk Elewaut - 'Role of endogenous NKT ligands induced by Endoplasmic Reticulum stress in NASH-driven hepatocellular carcinoma'
  • Prof. Steven Goossens - 'Oncogenic Role of SOX11 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia'
  • Prof. Pieter Mestdagh - 'Identifying lncRNA modulators of T-cell activation to enhance immune-checkpoint inhibition therapy' 
  • Prof. Frank Speleman - 'Single-cell and spatial multi-omics exploration of tumor intrinsic and microenvironment responses to ALK-ATR-CHK1-RRM2 axis drugging in neuroblastoma'
  • Prof. Geert van Loo - 'The impact of cell death on the cancer stem cell niche in non-melanoma skin cancer'
  • Prof. Kris Vleminckx - 'CRISPR-mediated mapping of genetic dependencies in well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma'

Other projects in which UGent/CRIG teams are involved as co-promotor:

  • Prof. Frederik De Smet (KULeuven) & Prof. Vanessa Vermeirssen (UGent) & Quintens Roel (Belgian Nucleair Research Centre) - 'Targeting radiation-induced plasticity in Glioblastoma: from fundamental insights to tailored therapeutic opportunities'
  • Prof. Esteban Gurzov (ULB), Prof. Chris Verslype (KULeuven) & Prof. Charlotte Scott (UGent) - 'Obesity-associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma at Single Cell Resolution for Risk Prediction and Novel Therapeutics - HepatoSCRIPT'

 

Translational/Clinical Research:
 

  • Prof. Wim Ceelen (UGent) & Prof; Jo Vanginderachter (VUB) - 'Engineering the tumor immune microenvironment in colorectal peritoneal metastases by locoregional delivery of toll like receptor agonists'
  • Prof. Bruno De Geest (UGent) & Prof. Damya Laoui (VUB) - 'A translational cancer vaccination approach based on co-delivery of tumor antigen and Toll-like receptor agonists'
  • Prof. Barbara De Moerloose - 'Integration of genome, epigenome, and transcriptome in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia and functional analysis of circular RNAs as novel biomarker and/or therapeutic targets'
  • Prof. Katleen De Preter - 'NIPITplus, a multi-cancer blood test to predict immune checkpoint inhibitor response and monitor toxicity'
  • Prof. Olivier De Wever - 'Exploiting patient-derived models to guide therapeutic decision making in soft tissue sarcoma'
  • Prof. Liv Veldeman (UGent) & Prof. Vincent Remouchamps (UCL Namur) - 'Prolonged abdominal deep-inspiration breath hold: clinical translation, monitoring and assessment of cardiac and lung toxicity reduction in prone crawl radiotherapy of breast cancer'

 

Asbestos grants:
 

  • Prof. Kris Gevaert (UGent) & Prof. Kevin lamote (UAntwerpen)- 'Validation of a protein biomarker panel in exhaled breath condensate'