Robin Demuynck

The topic of my research is linked to the concept of Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD) and its application in anti-cancer therapy. Currently more than 12 sub-types of cell death have been described including ICD, being immunogenic apoptosis and immunogenic necroptosis. In general, ICD is characterized by the emission of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs, such as ATP, HMGB1, calreticulin, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA) and/or cytokines/chemokines, leading to the induction of strong anti-tumor immune responses. It has been shown that cancer cells gain resistance towards both immunogenic apoptosis and necroptosis, this fact leads to a further investigation of other types of ICD and their application in anti-cancer therapy. 
It is known that the tumor microenvironment can affect the outcome of anti-cancer therapy and cancer spheroids are more accurate in representing the tumor microenvironment. The aim of this project is to fully understand the immuno-modulatory role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer spheroids on ICD in vitro and in vivo. 
 

• I obtained a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences magna cum laude (in 2020) at the University of Ghent, Belgium
• I started my PhD under the supervision of prof. Dmitri Krysko (MD, PhD) in September 2020 and in October 2020 I received the FWO PhD Fellowship for Fundamental Research
   

• ‘A 3D Cell Death Assay to Quantitatively Determine Ferroptosis in Spheroids’. Cells, 2020. (PMID: 32183000)
• ‘Immunogenic ferroptosis and where to find it?’, Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer, 2021 (PMID: 34903554)
   

• Lab address: Campus UZ Ghent, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 4B3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
• Linkedln  
• Robin Demuynck is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks