The aim of the Institut Bordet J.-C. Heuson Breast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory (BCTL) is to facilitate the transfer of scientific discoveries about breast cancer that are made in the laboratory into clinical practice. It seeks to improve the molecular characterisation of breast cancer through the use of leading-edge technologies. A particular objective is to improve understanding of the biology of these cancers and of the mechanisms involved in resistance to treatment.
The principal objective of research at the BCTL is to improve our understanding of the biology of breast cancer and of the propagation and progression of the disease at a molecular level by using leading-edge technologies such as high throughput DNA sequencing. The Laboratory has developed a number of prognostic and predictive gene signatures, notably the Genomic Grade Index (GGI). This Index makes it possible to classify patients into different prognostic groups and to identify which of them will derive significant benefit from chemotherapy or hormone therapy.
Professor Sotiriou’s team is also studying the molecular heterogeneity of breast cancer, from the viewpoint of both inter- and intra-patient variability, and is seeking to identify the mechanisms associated with sensitivity and resistance to treatment.
Alongside this, the team is developing a number of research projects involving liquid biopsies, in particular the characterisation of tumour DNA circulating in the bloodstream. This tool is promising for the monitoring of cancerous disease, the early detection of recurrence and the evaluation of response/resistance to a treatment. The results of this research should offer new prospects for the therapeutic treatment of patients affected by breast cancer.
The BCTL is involved in training students from the ULB Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. In particular, each year we welcome students in the process of completing their final dissertation. We also supervise students completing their doctoral thesis in Biomedical Sciences (4 to 6 students over a 4-year period).
Research Projects
The various projects of the laboratory are funded by : Les Amis de l’Institut Bordet, FNRS, FNRS-Télévie, Fondation contre le Cancer, Breast Cancer Research Fondation (BCRF), Fonds Julie et Françoise Drion.
Project 1
Characterization of endocrine resistant Luminal Breast Cancer using spatial transcriptomics AND epigenetic Analysis
- Project leader(s) : Christos Sotiriou, Françoise Rothé and Mattia Rediti
- Collaborations :
- Dr François Fuks, Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, ULB-Cancer Research Center (U-CRC), Université libre de Bruxelles
- Prof Lundeberg at the SciLife laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
- Dr Frédérick Libert, ULB/VUB Brightcore sequencing facility
Project 2
Molecular characterization of triple-negative breast cancer using spatial transcriptomics and single cell analysis.
- Project leader(s) : Christos Sotiriou, Françoise Rothé
- Collaborations :
- Prof. Lundeberg at the SciLife laboratory (Stockholm, Sweden)
- Dr Frédérick Libert, ULB/VUB Brightcore sequencing facility
Project 3
Tracking tumor evolution and distant recurrence in breast cancer by modeling tumor dormancy and the molecular clock rate
- Project leader(s): Christos Sotiriou, Françoise Rothé, David Venet and Danai Fimereli
Project 4
Uncovering the immune landscape of breast cancer
- Project leader(s) : Christos Sotiriou, Laurence Buisseret
- Collaborations : Prof John Stagg CR-CHUM, Montreal, Canada
Project 5
INTERROGATING THE FUNCTIONAL RELEVANCE OF A-TO-I RNA EDITING IN BREAST CANCER
- Project leader(s) : Christos Sotiriou, Françoise Rothé, David Venet, Floriane Dupont
- Collaborations : Prof Vincent Detours, IRIBHM, Université libre de Bruxelles
Our team
Head of BCTL
Prof Christos Sotiriou, MD PhD
Team
Françoise Rothé, PhD, Doctor of Sciences
Floriane Dupont, PhD Student (Biomedical Sciences)
Mattia Rediti, PhD Student (Biomedical Sciences)
Mariana Brandao, Research Fellow
XiaoXiao, PhD Student (Biomedical Sciences)
Andrea Joaquin Garcia, PhD Student (Bioinformatics)
David Venet, PhD, Post-Doc Bioinformatics
David Gacquer, Post-Doc Bioinformatics
Laurence Buisseret, PhD, Post-Doc Bioinformatics
Danai Fimereli, PhD, Post-Doc Bioinformatics
Samira Majjaj, Technician
Ghizlane Rouas, Technician
Delphine Vincent, Technician
Alfonsa Laragione, Technician
Administrative assistant
Julie Noël
Scientific publications
Lucitanib for the Treatment of HR<sup>+</sup>/HER2<sup>-</sup> Metastatic Breast Cancer: Results from the Multicohort Phase II FINESSE Study.
Authors : Hui R, Pearson A, Cortes J, Campbell C, Poirot C, Azim HA Jr, Fumagalli D, Lambertini M, Daly F, Arahmani A, Perez-Garcia J, Aftimos P, Bedard PL, Xuereb L, Scheepers ED, Vicente M, Goulioti T, Loibl S, Loi S, Pierrat MJ, Turner NC, Andre F, Curigliano G
Year : 2020
Journal : Clin Cancer Res
Volume : 26
Pages : 354-363
Reactive stroma and trastuzumab resistance in HER2-positive early breast cancer.
Authors : Sonnenblick A, Salmon-Divon M, Salgado R, Dvash E, Pondé N, Zahavi T, Salmon A, Loibl S, Denkert C, Joensuu H, Ameye L, Van den Eynden G, Kellokumpu-Lehtinen PL, Azaria A, Loi S, Michiels S, Richard F, Sotiriou C
Year : 2020
Journal : Int J Cancer
The 2019 WHO classification of tumours of the breast.
Authors : Hoon Tan P, Ellis I, Allison K, Brogi E, Fox SB, Lakhani S, Lazar AJ, Morris EA, Sahin A, Salgado R, Sapino A, Sasano H, Schnitt S, Sotiriou C, van Diest P, White VA, Lokuhetty D, Cree IA
Year : 2020
Journal : Histopathology
Imprint of parity and age at first pregnancy on the genomic landscape of subsequent breast cancer.
Authors : Nguyen B, Venet D, Lambertini M, Desmedt C, Salgado R, Horlings HM, Rothé F, Sotiriou C
Year : 2019
Journal : Breast Cancer Res
Volume : 21
Pages : 25
Correction: HER2-Overexpressing Breast Cancers Amplify FGFR Signaling upon Acquisition of Resistance to Dual Therapeutic Blockade of HER2.
Authors : Hanker AB, Garrett JT, Estrada MV, Moore PD, Ericsson PG, Koch JP, Langley E, Singh S, Kim PS, Frampton GM, Sanford E, Owens P, Becker J, Groseclose MR, Castellino S, Joensuu H, Huober J, Brase JC, Majjaj S, Brohée S, Venet D, Brown D, Baselga J, Piccart-Gebhart M, Sotiriou C, Arteaga CL
Year : 2019
Journal : Clin Cancer Res
Volume : 25
Pages : 1434