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
Associate head
Françoise Rothé, PhD
Translational research manager
Marion Maetens, PhD
Scientists
David Venet, PhD
Laurence Buisseret, MD PhD
Danai Fimereli , PhD
PhD students
Floriane Dupont
Yacine Bareche
Mattia Rediti
Xiaoxiao Wang
Lab technicians
Ghizlane Rouas
Samira Majjaj
Delphine Vincent
Administrative assistant
Julie Noël
Scientific publications
Author Correction: Landscape of somatic mutations in 560 breast cancer whole-genome sequences.
Authors : Nik-Zainal S, Davies H, Staaf J, Ramakrishna M, Glodzik D, Zou X, Martincorena I, Alexandrov LB, Martin S, Wedge DC, Van Loo P, Ju YS, Smid M, Brinkman AB, Morganella S, Aure MR, Lingjærde OC, Langerød A, Ringnér M, Ahn SM, Boyault S, Brock JE, Broeks A, Butler A, Desmedt C, Dirix L, Dronov S, Fatima A, Foekens JA, Gerstung M, Hooijer GKJ, Jang SJ, Jones DR, Kim HY, King TA, Krishnamurthy S, Lee HJ, Lee JY, Li Y, McLaren S, Menzies A, Mustonen V, OMeara S, Pauporté I, Pivot X, Purdie CA, Raine K, Ramakrishnan K, Rodríguez-González FG, Romieu G, Sieuwerts AM, Simpson PT, Shepherd R, Stebbings L, Stefansson OA, Teague J, Tommasi S, Treilleux I, Van den Eynden GG, Vermeulen P, Vincent-Salomon A, Yates L, Caldas C, vant Veer L, Tutt A, Knappskog S, Tan BKT, Jonkers J, Borg Å, Ueno NT, Sotiriou C, Viari A, Futreal PA, Campbell PJ, Span PN, Van Laere S, Lakhani SR, Eyfjord JE, Thompson AM, Birney E, Stunnenberg HG, Van de Vijver MJ, Martens JWM, Børresen-Dale AL, Richardson AL, Kong G, Thomas G, Stratton MR
Year : 2019
Journal : Nature
The circular RNome of primary breast cancer.
Authors : Smid M, Wilting S, Uhr K, Rodriguez-Gonzalez G, de Weerd V, Prager-Van der Smissen W, van der Vlugt-Daane M, van Galen A, Nik-Zainal S, Butler A, Martin S, Davies H, Staaf J, van de Vijver M, Richardson A, Macgrogan G, Salgado R, Van den Eynden G, Purdie C, Thompson A, Caldas C, Span P, Sweep F, Simpson P, Lakhani S, Van Laere S, Desmedt C, Paradiso A, Eyfjord J, Broeks A, Vincent-Solomon A, Futreal A, Knappskog S, King T, Viari A, Børresen-Dale AL, Stunnenberg H, Stratton M, Foekens J, Sieuwerts A, Martens J
Year : 2019
Journal : Genome Res
Genomic alterations in breast cancer: level of evidence for actionability according to ESMO Scale for Clinical Actionability of molecular Targets (ESCAT).
Authors : Condorelli R, Mosele F, Verret B, Bachelot T, Bedard PL, Cortes J, Hyman DM, Juric D, Krop I, Bieche I, Saura C, Sotiriou C, Cardoso F, Loibl S, Andre F, Turner NC
Year : 2019
Journal : Ann Oncol
Volume : 30
Pages : 365-373
pAKT pathway activation is associated with <i>PIK3CA</i> mutations and good prognosis in luminal breast cancer in contrast to p-mTOR pathway activation.
Authors : Sonnenblick A, Venet D, Brohée S, Pondé N, Sotiriou C
Year : 2019
Journal : NPJ Breast Cancer
Volume : 5
Pages : 7
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