Cancer research at University of Liège is focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in cancer genesis, cancer progression and metastatic dissemination.

To achieve their goals, the researchers have developed close collaborations with clinicians of the University Hospital (CHU de Liège). Their experimental and translational approaches allow an in-depth investigation of intrinsic features of primary tumor cells, metastatic tumor cells and circulating tumor cells.

Special emphasis is given on the identification of predictive, prognostic and diagnostic markers of cancers with putative interest to develop personalized treatments or overcome tumor resistance or adaptation to therapies currently used in clinic. With this aim advanced epigenetic, genomic, proteomic and metabolomic technologies are applied to human samples or sophisticated in vitro and in vivo models.

Research programs cover a wide range of areas, such as:

• Complex interactions between cancer cells and their molecular and cellular environments with a special focus on extracellular matrix, immune cells, inflammatory cells and endothelial cells of blood or lymphatic vessels
• Abnormal tissue remodelling, impaired vessel functions and excessive inflammation
• Mesenchymal Stem Cells for tissue repair and immunosuppression (notably in the field of HSC transplantation) and the ability of regulatory T cells (Tregs) to attenuate experimental graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)