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Scope

The LHCE carries out investigations at the interface of basic and clinical cancer research.

Our investigations focus on the molecular mechanisms that govern cell death and the cellular resistance to chemotherapy in hematological and non-hematological cancers. We carry out fundamental research projects and are also actively involved in the identification of promising therapeutic strategies, including novel combination strategies for extending patient survival. Important cell death pathways that are the focus of current studies include apoptosis and autophagy. Other lines of research also explore the mechanisms underlying the repair of DNA damage induced by anticancer drugs, and the role of DNA repair proteins in genomic stability and chromatin integrity. Recently, studies aiming to discover cancer protein and miRNA biomarkers in blood samples have been initiated and implemented in the laboratory in order to improve early diagnostic and treatment. 

Contact

Laboratory of Experimental Hemato-Oncology
Head of Research Unit: Dr. Guy Berchem
CRP-Santé, BAM
84, Val Fleuri, L-1526 Luxembourg
Tel: (+352) 44 11 20 84
Secretary: audrey.lemasson@crp-sante.lu
Phone: (+352) 26 970 320
Fax: (+352) 44 12 15
E-mail: berchem.guy@chl.lu

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IDENTIFICATION OF CANCER PROTEIN, GENE AND MIRNA BIOMARKERS

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Overview

Discovering cancer biomarkers allowing risk assessment, early disease detection, therapeutic prognosis and prediction of response to treatment is a challenging task for cancer prevention and the improvement of treatment outcomes. Approaches to cancer biomarker discovery include genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses.
Current efforts in the laboratory focus on the identification of biomarkers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lung cancer and colon cancer. Among the biomarkers we consider are genes, proteins and also plasma microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are a class of small RNAs that function as regulators of gene expression. Alteration of gene expression patterns due to dysregulation of miRNAs is a common theme in tumorigenesis. High concentrations of cell-free miRNAs originating from the primary tumor have been found in the plasma of cancer patients, and several lines of evidence indicate that plasma miRNAs are associated with specific vesicles called exosomes. Plasma miRNAs have emerged as a promising source of cancer biomarkers.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains an incurable disorder. Treatments control the disease and its symptoms in early and intermediate stages but death occurs in late stages when patients become unresponsive to present treatments. Although CLL is a heterogeneous pathology, patients receive a treatment mainly based on clinical parameters (Rai/Binet stage and cytogenetic characteristics), underlining the need for new markers with biological significance. We are developing projects aiming to identify cellular and/or plasma genes and miRNAs that could be used as biomarkers to predict resistance to chemotherapy and/or disease progression.
The incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer make this disease the first cancer-related cause of death in Europe, with a major impact on people’s life and our public health systems. More effective diagnostic are urgently needed to improve the detection of lung cancers and discriminate between related pathologies. Likewise, understanding the sequence of events that underlie tumorigenesis is crucial for improving disease diagnosis, therapy and prevention. We are developing a variety of approaches to identify and validate lung cancer biomarkers.