Mathis Mortier

In last years, immunotherapy has become a valuable treatment option for cancer, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy and cancer vaccines. A goal of these approaches is to eliminate neoplastic cells through the exploitation of the immune system. However, effective anti-tumor immunity requires sufficient immune activation. In this context, immunogenic cell death (ICD) has gained considerable interest. Instead of directly modulating immune cells, ICD induces regulated tumor cell death that stimulates the immune system through the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) by dying cancer cells. Consequently, the combined release of DAMPs (Adjuvanticity) and tumor antigens (Antigenicity) makes ICD an interesting concept in context of anti-cancer immunity.

A tumor does not exist in isolation but is embedded in a complex network of immune and stromal cells. Together, this forms the tumor microenvironment (TME). Building on both concepts, my research investigates how ICD transforms the TME into a useful ally in achieving effective anti-tumor immunity. Rather than acting as a facilitator of tumor growth, these stromal cells can detect danger signals released from dying cancer cells and can actively promote anti-cancer immune responses.

Currently my research focusses on melanoma, which is characterized by a high level of tumor heterogeneity and plasticity, driving therapy resistance. Recent evidence shows that melanoma cells can adopt different cellular states, ranging from a proliferative melanocytic (MEL) phenotype to an invasive mesenchymal-like (MES) phenotype. My first goal is to discover therapies that induce ICD in these cells, irrespective of their differentiation state, and transform the TME into an active promoter of anti-tumor immunity. A second goal is to elucidate the molecular pathways that drive stromal cell activation in response to ICD and utilize these pathways to enhance the effectiveness of current immunotherapies.
 

Mathis completed his Master’s thesis in the Therapy and RNA group Gent (TaRGeT) at Ghent University, under supervision of prof. dr. Frauke Coppieters.

In October 2026, Mathis started a PhD in the Cell Death Investigation and Therapy (CDIT) Laboratory at Ghent University, under supervision of prof. dr. Isabelle Hoorens and dr. Robin Demuynck.
 

• Lab address: Campus UZ Ghent, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 4B3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
• LinkedIn
• CDIT website 
• Mathis Mortier is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks