Clinical & Experimental Radiation Oncology
My group is interested in deciphering the molecular response mechanisms to clinical schedules of fractionated radiotherapy. The overarching goal is to understand how tumor cells and the tumor micro-environment respond during longer periods of fractionated radiotherapy in order to optimize dose-scheduling of combination therapies.
Victor Thijssen
Over the last decade, we have used different approaches to determine the role of the tumor microenvironment in the response to radiotherapy and to monitor the cellular response(s) of the tumor microenvironment to radiotherapy. This includes studies in cultured cell in vitro, in tumor models in vivo as well as in tumor tissues derived from cancer patients.
Regarding the modulation of the tumor micro-environment, we are particularly interested in the role of galectins, a family of carbohydrate (sugar) binding proteins that are linked to angiogenesis (blood vessel growth) as well as to regulation of the immune response. We study how galectins contribute to tumor progression and how targeting galectins can be exploited for cancer therapy.
Group members
Andrew Derrix
Nora Purcell
PhD student vacancy1
PhD student vacancy1
1) Collaboration with MUMC+
Key publications
Vascular galectins in tumor angiogenesis and cancer immunity.
Thijssen VLJL. Semin Immunopathol. 2024 In press.
Phenotypic immune characterization of gastric and esophageal adenocarcinomas reveals profound immune suppression in esophageal tumor locations
van Schooten TS, et al. Front Immunol. 2024. 4(15):1372272.
Chemokines modulate glycan binding and the immunoregulatory activity of galectins
Sanjurjo L, et al. Comm Biol, 2021;4(1):1415.
Pre-treatment tumor-infiltrating T cells influence response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in esophageal adenocarcinoma
Goedegebuure RSA, et al. Oncoimmunology, 2021; 10:1.
PAI-1 mediates the antiangiogenic and profibrinolytic effects of 16K prolactin
Bajou K, et al. Nat Med. 2014. 20(7):741-7
Interfering with Gal-1-mediated angiogenesis contributes to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia
Freitag N, et al. PNAS, 2013, 110(28):11451-6.
Tumor cells secrete galectin-1 to enhance endothelial cell activity
Thijssen VL, et al. Cancer Res. 2010;70(15):6216-24.
Galectin-1 is essential in tumor angiogenesis and is a target for antiangiogenesis therapy
Thijssen VL, et al. PNAS. 2006;103(43):15975-80.
Contact information
Keywords
Radiobiology | Tumor microenvironment | Angiogenesis | Glycobiology | Esophageal cancer