Research group Molecular prognostic and predictive factors in solid tumors

Aims

1. This group generally aims to discover causes of radioresistance and targets for radiosensitization.
2. The Radiotherapy & OncoImmunology (ROI) lab aims to optimize combined treatment of radiotherapy and immunotherapy, with the group focusing on optimal irradiation procedures (hypofracionation, partial tumor irradiation, lymph node sparing, etc).
3. We validate potential biomarkers for radioresistance/radiosensitivity in retrospective and prospective biobanks, aiming for patient selection and/or treatment optimization.
4. We are exploring the potential of combining external beam irradiation with targeted nuclear therapy.

Achievements

1. Much of our work has been directed at the main cause for resistance to radiotherapy, ie. hypoxia, and how oxygen breathing or oxydative phosphorylation inhibition might sensitize tumor to irradiation.
2. We participated in the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Consortium (PCWAG), initiating the Radboud BreastCancer Biobank.
3. We investigated the cause and consequences of APOBEC3 dysregulation in breast cancer.
4. We found that tamoxifen treatment leads to radioresistance via its effect on mitochondria and ROS5) we found that localised irradiation (Head and Neck) induces a systemic anti-oxidant response.

Alumni

• Monique Nijkamp
• Hanneke Stegeman
• Willem Welboren
• Marloes Wennemers
• Geert Janssens
• Tineke Meijer
• Anika Nagelkerke
• Jan-Hendrik Venhuizen
• Annemarie Post
• Karijn Pijnenburg
• Manon Engels
• Ying Zhang
• Eva-Leonne Göttgens
• Pieter Roelofs
• Mariska Schröder
• Daan Boreel
• Flavia Reinema