dr. Laurens Van Camp (MD)

CRIG member
Laurens Van Camp


PhD student - Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation – UZ Gent
Pediatric resident - UZ Gent
Principal investigator: prof. Barbara De Moerloose (MD, PhD) & prof. Tim Lammens (PhD)

 

Research focus

The clinical outcome of children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) improved over time using highly intensive chemotherapy, with current long-term survival rates of about 70%. Nevertheless, 30-35% of patients die from resistant disease, relapse or treatment-related toxicity, which catalogues AML as “difficult-to-treat” disease. The recent success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy directed towards CD19 and the CD19-Bispecific T-cell Engager (BiTE) Blinatumomab in the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has demonstrated the feasibility of applying immunotherapies in childhood cancer, but also highlighted some of the pitfalls that may be encountered in its early phase development. The fundamental biological factor limiting the extension of immunotherapy for the treatment of AML is the lack of a leukemia-specific antigen, or an antigen shared by haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells whose sustained depletion could be clinically tolerated.

We have previously performed extensive transcriptome analysis of sorted AML LSCs, blasts and their normal counterparts and identified several interesting therapeutic targets to be explored. Until today, only one such target, TARP, has been fully evaluated and brought to preclinical evaluation. Based on this previous successful experience, bringing TARP-directed immunotherapy to preclinical evaluation, we aim in this project to uncover the potential of two other therapeutic targets that we identified in the datasets previously generated.

The ultimate goal of this research project is outcome improvement of relapsed or refractory pediatric AML by providing preclinical in vitro and in vivo evidence for efficacy and safety of cellular immunotherapy directed towards an AML-specific antigen. 
 

Biography

  • Catholic University of Leuven – Medical Doctor (MD), 2018
  • Pediatric residency training at the University Hospital of Leuven, 2018-2020
  • Pediatric residency training at the Ghent University Hospital, 2020-…
     

Contact & links

  • Lab address: Ghent University Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hemato-oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, 3K12D, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, B-9000 Gent
  • UZ Gent Hemato-Oncology 
  • Laurens Van Camp is interested to receive invitations for talks or presentations