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 : The Association Jules Bordet, FNRS, FNRS-Télévie, Fondation contre le Cancer, Breast Cancer Research Fondation (BCRF), Fonds Julie et Françoise Drion.
Project 1
MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF BREAST CANCER HETEROGENEITY 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
Projet 2
Mapping triple negative breast cancer heterogeneity by leveraging spatial transcriptomics and artificiaL intelligence: towards an optimized patients’ care
- Project leader(s) : Christos Sotiriou, Françoise Rothé, David Venet, Nicola Occelli
Projet 3
DISSECTING THE IMPACT OF INTRATUMOR HETEROGENEITY ON DISEASE RELAPSE IN LUMINAL BREAST CANCER IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MINDACT CLINICAL TRIAL
- Project leader(s) : Christos Sotiriou, Françoise Rothé, Laetitia Collet
- Collaborations : Prof. Christine Desmedt, Marion Maetens, PhD (KU Leuven)
Projet 4
UNCOVERING THE IMMUNE LANDSCAPE OF BREAST CANCER
- Project leader(s) : Christos Sotiriou, Laurence Buisseret, Françoise Rothé
- Collaborations : Prof John Stagg CR-CHUM, Montreal, Canada
Projet 5
MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF INTRATUMOR HETEROGENEITY AND TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN HIGH GRADE SEROUS OVARIAN CANCER AND BRCA1/2 MUTANT BREAST CANCER USING SPATIAL TRANSCRIPTOMICS
- Project leader(s) : Christos Sotiriou, Françoise Rothé
- Collaborations : Prof Isabelle Ray-Coquard (Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon)
Our team
Head of BCTL
Prof Prof Christos Sotiriou, MD PhD
Team
Prof Françoise Rothé, PhD, Associate Head
Prof Laurence Buisseret, Senior Clinical Scientist (MD, PhD)
David Venet, PhD, Post-Doc Bioinformatics
Nicolaas Van Renne, PhD, Post-Doc Bioinformatics
Marcela Carausu, PhD Student (MD)
Xiao Xiao Wang, PhD Student (MD)
Laetitia Collet, PhD Student (MD)
Jérémy Blanc, PhD Student (MD)
Elisa Agostinetto, PhD Student (MD)
Andrea Joaquin Garcia, PhD Student (Bioinformatics)
Matteo Serra, PhD Student (Bioinformatics)
Nicola Occelli, PhD Student (Bioinformatics)
Maria Alexandra Stanciu, PhD Student (Bioinformatics)
Lucie Cervenkova, PhD Student (Bioinformatics)
Bengisu Karakose, PhD Student (Bionformatics)
Zoë Denis, MSc (Junior Scientist)
Samira Majjaj, Technician
Ghizlane Rouas, Technician
Delphine Vincent, Technician
Administrative assistant
Anastasia Iordanidou
11/02/2025
Scientific publications
Reply to S. Di Cosimo et al.
Authors : Agostinetto E, Venet D, Ignatiadis M, Kalashnikova E
Year : 2023
Journal : JCO Precis Oncol
Volume : 7
Pages : e2200644
Predictive Biomarkers for Response to Immunotherapy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Promises and Challenges.
Authors : Wang X, Collet L, Rediti M, Debien V, De Caluwé A, Venet D, Romano E, Rothé F, Sotiriou C, Buisseret L
Year : 2023
Journal : J Clin Med
Volume : 12
The association between adiposity and anti-proliferative response to neoadjuvant endocrine therapy with letrozole in post-menopausal patients with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.
Authors : Isnaldi E, Richard F, De Schepper M, Leduc S, Maetens M, Geukens T, Van Baelen K, Nguyen HL, Rouas G, Zoppoli G, Cardoso F, Sotiriou C, Larsimont D, Floris G, Biganzoli E, Desmedt C
Year : 2022
Journal : NPJ Breast Cancer
Volume : 8
Pages : 90
Results of a worldwide survey on the currently used histopathological diagnostic criteria for invasive lobular breast cancer.
Authors : De Schepper M, Vincent-Salomon A, Christgen M, Van Baelen K, Richard F, Tsuda H, Kurozumi S, Brito MJ, Cserni G, Schnitt S, Larsimont D, Kulka J, Fernandez PL, Rodríguez-Martínez P, Olivar AA, Melendez C, Van Bockstal M, Kovacs A, Varga Z, Wesseling J, Bhargava R, Boström P, Franchet C, Zambuko B, Matute G, Mueller S, Berghian A, Rakha E, van Diest PJ, Oesterreich S, Derksen PWB, Floris G, Desmedt C
Year : 2022
Journal : Mod Pathol
Volume : 35
Pages : 1812-1820
Exercise in lung Cancer, the healthcare providers opinion (E.C.H.O.): Results of the EORTC lung cancer Group (LCG) survey.
Authors : Pilotto S, Avancini A, Menis J, Sperduti I, Giaj Levra M, Berghmans T, Bironzo P, Brandão M, De Ruysscher D, Edwards J, Faivre-Finn C, Girard N, Greillier L, Hendriks L, Lantuejoul S, Mauer M, Novello S, OBrien M, Reck M, Reguart N, Remon J, von der Thüsen J, Dingemans AC, Besse B, Milella M
Year : 2022
Journal : Lung Cancer
Volume : 169
Pages : 94-101