dr. Joni Van der Meulen (PhD)

CRIG member
Joni Van der Meulen

Research focus

As coordinator of the platform molecular diagnostics UZ Gent (MDG), novel capture- and amplicon-based next-generation sequencing technologies are being validated for the detection of SNVs, indels, CNVs and fusions in DNA/RNA of tumor tissue, blood or bone marrow samples of cancer patients. The presence of certain genetic defects can help to predict therapy response, can guide the diagnosis and/or can fine tune the prognosis of cancer patients with solid tumors or hematological malignancies.
Using these DNA and RNA-based NGS technologies, MDG collaborates with the pathology department in the further characterisation of rare tumor entities and the detection of novel variants and fusions in tumor samples resulting in interesting case reports. Novel technologies including comprehensive genomic profiling, mutation analysis in liquid biopsies using NGS, reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS) for methylation profiling, homology recombination deficiency testing are being explored to implement further in the clinical setting.
 

Key publications

  • Dedeurwaerdere F, Claes KBM, Van Dorpe J, Rottiers I, Van der Meulen J, Breyne J, Swaerts K, Martens G. Comparison of microsatellite instability detection by immunohistochemistry and molecular techniques in colorectal and endometrial cancer. Sci Rep 2021. Accepted. Impact factor 3.998 (2019).
  • Libbrecht S, Van der Meulen J, Mondelaers V, Baert E, Vande Walle C, Van Dorpe J, Creytens D. Intracranial myxoid mesenchymal tumor with EWSR1-CREB1 fusion. Pathol Res Pract. 2020 Dec;216(12):153239. Impact factor 2.05 (2019).
  • De Thaye E, Van de Vijver K, Van der Meulen J, Taminau J, Wagemans G, Denys H, Van Dorpe J, Berx G, Ceelen W, Van Bocxlaer J, De Wever O.  Establishment and characterization of a cell line and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) from peritoneal metastasis of low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Sci Rep. 2020 Apr 21;10(1):6688. Impact factor 3.998 (2019).
  • Dolens AC, Durinck K, Lavaert M, Van der Meulen J, Velghe I, De Medts J, Weening K, Roels J, De Mulder K, Volders PJ, De Preter K, Kerre T, Vandekerckhove B, Leclercq G, Vandesompele J, Mestdagh P, Van Vlierberghe P, Speleman F, Taghon T. Distinct Notch1 and BCL11B requirements mediate human γδ/αβ T cell development. EMBO Rep. 2020 May 6;21(5):e49006. Impact factor 7.497 (2019).
  • Froyen G, Le Mercier M, Lierman E, Vandepoele K, Nollet F, Boone E, Van der Meulen J, Jacobs K, Lambin S, Vander Borght S, Van Valckenborgh E, Antoniou A, Hébrant A. Standardization of Somatic Variant Classifications in Solid and Haematological Tumours by a Two-Level Approach of Biological and Clinical Classes: An Initiative of the Belgian ComPerMed Expert Panel. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Dec 16;11(12). Impact factor 6.126 (2019).
  • Callebout E, Ribeiro SM, Laurent S, De Man M, Ferdinande L, Claes KBM, Van der Meulen J, Geboes KP. Long term response on Regorafenib in non-V600E BRAF mutated colon cancer: a case report. BMC Cancer. 2019 Jun 11;19(1):567. Impact factor 3.15 (2019).
  • Lefever S, Rihani A, Van der Meulen J, Pattyn F, Van Maerken T, Van Dorpe J, Hellemans J, Vandesompele J. Cost-effective and robust genotyping using double-mismatch allele-specific quantitative PCR. Sci Rep 2019 Feb, 15;9(1):2150. Impact factor 3.998 (2019).
  • Vandepoele K, Van der Meulen J, Denys B. The NF1 hotspot in acute myeloid leukemia: what’s in a name? Leukemia 2018;32(12):2715. Impact factor 8.665 (2019).
  • De Loof M, Van Dorpe J, Van der Meulen J, Lefever S, Dhooge I. Two cases of seborrheic keratosis of the external ear canal: involvement of PIK3CA and FGFR3 genes. Int J Dermatol. 2018 Jun;57(6):703-706. Impact factor 2.067 (2019).
  • Durinck K, Van Loocke W, Van der Meulen J, Van de Walle I, Ongenaert M, Rondou P, Wallaert A, Van Roy N, Poppe B, Cools J, Soulier J, Taghon T, Speleman F, Van Vlierberghe P. Characterization of the genome-wide TLX1 binding profile in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia. 2015 Dec;29(12):2317-27. Impact factor 8.665 (2019).
     

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