The radiotherapy research at the Bordet Institute focuses on the treatment of diverse tumor types, on several levels: preclinical, translational, clinical and technological.
- The radiotherapy department disposes of a dedicated preclinical research lab that leads research in cellular and animal models, to study radiobiology, the immune effects of radiotherapy, and the synergy with other treatments.
- The physics team develops new techniques to process imaging data and to optimize the technical aspects of radiotherapy treatments, and implements new treatment techniques in clinical routine.
- Clinical research is focused on implementing new radiotherapy techniques, indications, treatment schedules and combinations with other treatment modalities such as immune therapy. A major part focuses also on the reduction of side effects, by altering the radiotherapy treatment or by optimizing the multidisciplinary care.
- The technological research focuses on the treatment delivery, aiming to target the tumor as precisely as possible, to optimize the dose at the surrounding organs, and to improve patient comfort.
The radiotherapy research team develops independent study projects, often in collaboration with other labs and/or other university hospitals. The department also participates in several multicenter trials, coordinated by other universities or international organizations such as EORTC and ESTRO.
A major part of the unit’s research is centered on 4 main research lines which are presented here, each linked to departmental projects and/or multicenter trials.
- Head & Neck cancers
The head & neck group puts a lot of emphasis on the optimal prevention and treatment of side effects from radio(chemo)therapy.- The Swall PEG trial
- Preclinical research on low-level laser therapy
- Prospective pilot study evaluating dental side effects
- Assessment of radio(chemo)therapy-related dysphagia
- Oligometastases and the synergy of radiotherapy and immunotherapy
The stereotactic treatment of oligometastases is a developing field in radiation oncology, with very positive results emerging from the first randomized trials. In parallel, radiotherapy has the potential to boost immune therapy for local or metastatic disease.- Neo-CheckRay, a randomized phase II trial.
- Stereotactic body radiotherapy, immune response and abscopal effect in clear cell renal carcinoma: a murine model.
- Immunological potential of p53 activation combined to stereotactic irradiation in PDXs humanized pre-clinical mouse models (AVATAR)
- Contribution to the study of stereotaxic radiotherapy and its immunomodulatory effect in the treatment of pancreatic cancers
- The Oligopro-Breast trial: a prospective trial in Oligoprogressive metastatic breast cancer
- Participation in the PEACE V: STORM trial
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- ProCaLung - The Project on Cancer of the Lung. This multicenter national project, coordinated by our team, investigates several quality aspects of lung cancer radiotherapy, as contouring and planning, in an effort to optimize and homogenize lung cancer radiation oncology in Belgium.
- ProCaLung - The Project on Cancer of the Lung. This multicenter national project, coordinated by our team, investigates several quality aspects of lung cancer radiotherapy, as contouring and planning, in an effort to optimize and homogenize lung cancer radiation oncology in Belgium.
- Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the major radiotherapy indications and research is largely driven by multicentric trials in several of which we participate.- Evaluation of the XVI dual registration tool in prostate cancer patients: Is it more accurate than manual matching?
- Participation in the following trials: PEGASUS, PEACE V: STORM, SAVE, DART, PART.
Research projects
See Radiotherapy and Medical physics too
Project 1
Immunomodulatory potential of combining radio-immunotherapy in a humanized mouse model
- Project leaders: Morgane Cogels, Dirk Van Gestel, Mohammad Krayem
- Funding : Association Jules Bordet, Fondation Lambeaux-Marteaux.
Project 2
The synergistic effect of a third generation hypoxia-activated prodrug combined to immunotherapy and/or stereotactic irradiation in PDXs humanized pre-clinical mouse models
- Project leaders : Morgane Cogels, Dirk Van Gestel, Mohammad Krayem
- Funding : Association Jules Bordet, Fondation Lambeaux-Marteaux.
Project 3
Chemo-Radiotherapy: p53 reactivation and DNA repair in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC).
- Project leaders : Tycho de Bakker, Dirk Van Gestel, Mohammad Krayem
- Funding : Association Jules Bordet, Fondation Lambeaux-Marteaux, Fondation Rose et Jean Hoguet.
Project 4
Immune landscape of rectal tumor after preoperative treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer (iLARC).
- Project leaders : Chrysanthi Iliadi, Dirk Van Gestel, Mohammad Krayem
- Funding : Association Jules Bordet, F.R.S.-FNRS- FRIA, Fondation Lambeaux-Marteaux,
Project 5
Development of a targeted theranostic platform combining magnetic nanoparticles and radiotherapy.
- Project leaders : Dorianne Sant'Angelo, Fabrice Journe, Ahmad awada, Dirk Van Gestel, Mohammad Krayem
- Funding : Association Jules Bordet, Fondation contre le Cancer.
Project 6
Radiotherapy and targeted therapies in breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM)
- Project leaders : Sabrina Khodja, Dirk Van Gestel, Alex de Caluwe, Mohammad Krayem
- Financement : Association Jules Bordet, F.R.S.-FNRS- Télévie.
Project 7
Thera-NCT: "Development of new theranostic vectors for personalised neutron capture therapies"
- Project Leaders: Dirk Van Gestel, Sébastien Penninckx
- Researcher: Eloïse Rapport
- Funding: Fondation Lambeaux-Marteau, FNRS via “Télévie” call
- Collaborations: C. Michiels (Université de Namur)
- Description: The aim of this project is to develop fluorinated derivates of BPA and investigated their benefit in different clinical scenarios of neutron capture therapy.
Project 8
FLASH 4 Clinic: « Preclinical study of the radiobiological obstacles limiting the optimal clinical transition of the FLASH effect in radiotherapy »
- Project leaders : Sébastien Penninckx
- Researchers: Nina Blond, Coralie Destrebecq
- Funding: Association Jules Bordet, FNRS via “Télévie” and “Aspirant” calls
- Collaborations: V. Wittamer (IRIBHM, ULB)
- Description: This project aims at unraveling the impact of beam temporal structure and dose fractionation on the occurrence of FLASH effect.
Project 9
D-CAF: “Development of new dosimetric tools for carbon, arc and FLASH therapy”
- Project leaders : Nick Reynaert, Sébastien Penninckx
- Researcher: Guillaume Houyoux
- Funding : Région Wallonne via « Biowin/MecaTech » call
- Collaborations: E. Sterpin (UCLouvain/KULeuven), Hugo Palmans (MedAustron; Austria) IBA et Thélis
- Description: This project aims at designing new ionizing chambers for carbon ion and FLASH therapies through Monte-Carlo simulations
Our team
Head of Medical Physics Research
- Nick Reynaert, PhD
Head of Radiotherapy Pre-clinical Research
- Mohammad Krayem, PhD
Head of Radiobiology Research
- Sebastien Penninckx
Research teams :
- Dr Christelle Bouchart,
- Dr Alex De Caluwé,
- Dr Tatiana Dragan,
- Younes Jourani, EPM,
- Dr Yasemin Karaca,
- Dr Philippe Lambin,
- Dr Philippe Martinive,
- Sofiana Mootassim-Billah,
- Dr Luigi Moretti,
- Dr François-Xavier Otte,
- Zelda Paquier, EPM,
- Aurelian Quinet, EPM,
- Filipa Rodrigues Sousa, RTT
- Dr Paul Van Houtte,
- Dr Robbe Van den Begin,
- Scientifics of Medical Physica
Radiotherapy Preclinical and Translational Research Unit
- Mohammad Krayem, PhD (Head of the Unit)
- Morgane Cogels, PhD student
- Tycho de Bakker, PhD student
- Chrysanthi Iliadi, PhD student
- Dorianne Sant'Angelo, PhD student
- Sabrina Khodja, Intern
- Celine Seghers, Intern
- Diana-Mihaela Frigioiu, Intern
- Anouk Maes, Intern
Radiobiology Research Unit
- Sébastien Penninckx, PhD (Head of the Unit)
- Guillaume Houyoux, PhD Student
- Eloise Rapport, PhD Student
- Nina Blond, PhD Student
- Coralie Destrebecq, PhD Student
Radiotherapy Research Team
- Hélène Gislon (PhD),
- Carole Janssen
07/06/2024
Scientific publications
Radiation therapy-induced left vocal cord paralysis following lung stereotactic body radiation therapy: A case report and review of the literature.
Authors : Pierrard J, Deheneffe S, Longton E, Henry S, Van Houtte P, Remouchamps V
Year : 2023
Journal : Cancer Radiother
Volume : 27
Pages : 69-74
Cardiac safety of dual anti-HER2 blockade with pertuzumab plus trastuzumab in early HER2-positive breast cancer in the APHINITY trial.
Authors : de Azambuja E, Agostinetto E, Procter M, Eiger D, Pondé N, Guillaume S, Parlier D, Lambertini M, Desmet A, Caballero C, Aguila C, Jerusalem G, Walshe JM, Frank E, Bines J, Loibl S, Piccart-Gebhart M, Ewer MS, Dent S, Plummer C, Suter T
Year : 2023
Journal : ESMO Open
Volume : 8
Pages : 100772
International consensus on radiotherapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Authors : Zhu Z, Ni J, Cai X, Su S, Zhuang H, Yang Z, Chen M, Ma S, Xie C, Xu Y, Li J, Ge H, Liu A, Zhao L, Rao C, Bi N, Hui Z, Zhu G, Yuan Z, Wang J, Zhou W, Rim CH, Navarro-Martin A, Vanneste BGL, Ruysscher D, Choi JI, Jassem J, Chang JY, Kepka L, Käsmann L, Milano MT, Van Houtte P, Suwinski R, Traverso A, Doi H, Suh YG, Noël G, Tomita N, Kowalchuk RO, Sio TT, Li B, Lu B, Fu X
Year : 2022
Journal : Transl Lung Cancer Res
Volume : 11
Pages : 1763-1795
Characteristics and dosimetric impact of intrafraction motion during peripheral lung cancer stereotactic radiotherapy: is a second midpoint cone beam computed tomography of added value?
Authors : Benkhaled S, Koshariuk O, Van Esch A, Remouchamps V
Year : 2022
Journal : Rep Pract Oncol Radiother
Volume : 27
Pages : 490-499
Lymphocyte-sparing pelvic radiotherapy for prostate cancer: An in-silico study.
Authors : Baré M, Poeta S, Fernandes P, Jourani Y, Otte FX, Van Brussel S, Van Gestel D, Van den Begin R
Year : 2022
Journal : Phys Imaging Radiat Oncol
Volume : 23
Pages : 127-133