Thibault Lootens
Doctoral fellow – Research Group 4Brain, Department of Head and Skin – UGent, Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences
Doctoral fellow – Laboratory for Experimental Cancer Research (LECR), Department of
Human Structure and Repair – UGent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Principal Investigators: prof. Robrecht Raedt (PhD) and prof. Olivier De Wever (PhD).
Research focus
Glioblastoma (GB) is known as the most aggressive and most common malignant primary brain tumor. There is an unmet need for alternative solutions, as therapeutic advances have been marginal over the past decades. The lack of effective treatments is due to tumor heterogeneity, the complex tumor microenvironment and the blood-brain barrier. Drug repurposing offers the advantage to use commercially available compounds with known safety profiles, while simultaneously unravelling molecular pathways involved in the progression of complex diseases, such as GB. Moreover, attacking the tumor from different angles with brain-penetrant drugs by acting on different growth related pathways can be much more effective, both in eliciting damage to the tumor cells as well as prohibiting the development of individual drug resistance. In addition, standard of care can also be made more effective.
The goal of my research is to evaluate the potential of drug repurposing regimens in GB. This will be investigated using animal models of GB, as well as patient samples, which will be obtained in close collaboration with UZ Gent and KU Leuven. The outcome might be of tremendous benefit for GB patients, since repurposed drugs may be implemented into the clinic much faster, compared to investigational new drugs, because of their known safety profiles. In addition, the established preclinical models might be used to evaluate future repurposed regimens, as well as chemical entities.
Biography
- In 2022 I obtained my Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering with a major in Cell and Gene Biotechnology at Gent University.