Sara T'Sas

PDXGhent core
Preclinical models are vital in cancer research, supporting insights into disease biology, biomarker discovery, and therapy development. Traditional models often fail in early clinical trials, highlighting the need for more predictive systems. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) offer improved clinical relevance, drug screening reliability, and tumor heterogeneity preservation. PDXGhent core, embedded in Ghent University’s Core Facilities and Ghent University Hospital, provides streamlined access to PDX model creation, characterization, validation, biobanking, and therapy efficacy studies. Its diverse PDX collection helps researchers find models closely mimicking patient tumors. Our expert team supports grant writing, budget planning, experimental execution, and data analysis. PDXGhent fosters strong clinical-research connections, enhancing your work and driving top-tier oncology research.
Download the PDXGhent core poster for a comprehensive visualization of the PDXGhent core facility or visit our website.

Unit for Translational Research (UTRIO)
A deeper molecular understanding of cancer initiation and progression enables the identification of novel oncogenic drivers and tumour suppressors. Defining their mechanisms of action will lead to improved, targeted therapies with fewer side effects and the discovery of biomarkers essential for patient personalized medicine. Reliable in vitro and in vivo models are crucial for identifying, validating, and advancing new compounds and biomarkers toward pre-clinical testing, particularly for rare malignancies. Our research focuses on ‘bench-to-bedside’ translational research. Starting from a clinical need and patient samples, we  create reliable in vitro and in vivo models. 
Using advanced genomics and proteomics, we identify tumor suppressors, oncogenes, druggable targets, and prognostic biomarkers while screening compounds that disrupt oncogenic pathways, ultimately paving the way for cancer therapies.

• 2009-2016: EggCentris
• 2016-2022: UGent - Prof. Pieter Van Vlierberghe
• 2022-Present: UGent - Prof. Steven Goossens
• 2024-Present: UGent - PDXGhent Core
   

• Lab address: UZ Gent, Medical Research Building 2 (entrance 38 - 1st Floor, Room 110.006), Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

• PDXGhent Core
  The PDXGhent core facility offers three main services:
  1. PDX Generation:
  This includes phenotyping, targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS), immunophenotyping, histopathology, and flow cytometry. Tumor fragments or isolated tumor cells from patients are transplanted into immunodeficient mice, facilitating tumor study and progression analysis.
  2. PDX Biobanking:
  The biobank features a range of models, especially for hematological malignancies. It supports re-initiation and expansion of PDX models, and provides access to living cells for primary cultures (PDC) and organoids (PDO), with centralized long-term storage.
  3. Therapy Efficacy Studies:
  Using the 'avatar model,' the facility aids personalized medicine through co-clinical trials. Services include PDX model growth, experimental setup discussions, and toxicity/therapy efficacy studies, providing vital data for clinical decision-making.

• PDXGhent Core facility

• Goossens lab