prof. Karolien De Bosscher (PhD)

Our research focuses on the role of nuclear receptors in cancer biology and therapy response. In lymphoid malignancies, we investigate how signaling through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a key member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, achieves treatment response on the one hand and the development of glucocorticoid resistance on the other hand. By unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying GR action and its crosstalk with other (nuclear or chemokine) receptors, we aim to identify biomarkers that enable early prediction of treatment failure and support more personalized therapeutic strategies. In parallel, we study hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the context of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), with a particular focus on the crosstalk between PPARα and ERRα and its contribution to metabolic reprogramming and tumor development. Together, these projects seek to uncover novel biomarkers and therapeutic opportunities with translational relevance across different cancer types.
 

(°09/12/1973, Zottegem, Belgium; married to Ram Broekaert, two children: Gijs °2003 & Eleonora °2005).
Karolien De Bosscher obtained her Ph.D degree at UGent (Belgium) in 2000. Following postdoctoral research at the Cancer Research UK supported by an EMBO longterm fellowship (2000-2002), she returned to Gent with an FWO-Vlaanderen postdoctoral fellowship and coordinated nuclear receptor research (2003-2012).
In 2007, she won the prestigious PFIZER Prize and in 2012 she received two prizes: the Prize of the Academy for Fundamental Research in Medicine and the Belgian Endocrine Society Lecture Award.
In 2013 she secured a competitive research professorship grant and combined with academic teaching at the medicine faculty of UGent.
2019 was marked as a professional top year by reeling in a full professorship position via the fast-track system as well as an appointment as expert scientist at the VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology.
K. De Bosscher has a long-standing focus on the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer action mechanisms of nuclear receptors (GR, PPARs) and on selective glucocorticoid receptor modulation. In recent years her team zooms in on metabolic actions of GR and PPAR, as well as on the benefit of nuclear receptor crosstalk mechanisms (GR,MR) in hematological cancers.
 

• dr. Dorien Clarisse (PhD) - post-doctoral researcher
• Chloé Van Leene - doctoral fellow
• Ulrike Ronse - doctoral fellow
• Eleni Staessens - doctoral fellow
• Lucas Moeskops - doctoral fellow
• Geike Heremans - doctoral fellow
• Evelyn Meylaerts - doctoral fellow
• Felien Morlion - doctoral fellow 
• Annick Verhee - technician
• Candice Vanden Bussche - technician
   

• Modeling of glucocorticoid resistance in multiple myeloma reveals mechanisms and markers of glucocorticoid resistance. Biomed Pharmacother. 2025 PMID: 41138658
• CCR1 inhibition sensitizes multiple myeloma cells to glucocorticoid therapy. Pharmacol Res. 2025 PMID: 40132675
• Synthesis and functional screening of novel inhibitors targeting the HDAC6 zinc finger ubiquitin-binding domain.  Eur J Med Chem. 2025 PMID: 39823806
• PPARα-ERRα crosstalk mitigates metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease progression. Metabolism. 2025. PMID: 39743041
• Crosstalk interactions between transcription factors ERRα and PPARα assist PPARα-mediated gene expression. Mol Metab. 2024 PMID: 38631478
• Crosstalk between glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors boosts glucocorticoid-induced killing of multiple myeloma cells.Cell Mol Life Sci. 2023 PMID: 37578563
• Novel assays monitoring direct glucocorticoid receptor protein activity exhibit high predictive power for ligand activity on endogenous gene targets. Biomed Pharmacother. 2022. PMID: 35709653
• How the glucocorticoid receptor contributes to platinum-based therapy resistance in solid cancer. Nat Commun. 2021. PMID: 34400619
• Improved Glucocorticoid Receptor Ligands: Fantastic Beasts, but How to Find Them? Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020. PMID: 33071974 
• Latest perspectives on glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis and resistance in lymphoid malignancies.Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2020 Sep 17:188430. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188430. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32950642 Review.
   

• VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology- UGent Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75 - 9052 Gent – BELGIUM
• UGent profile
• De Bosscher Lab