Inaugural lecture by laureate Dr. Carine Michiels in the frame of the Chair Roger Van Geen

Inaugural lecture | How cell biology and radiation physics met to boost radiotherapy

Among the various available anti-cancer therapeutic options, radiotherapy (RT) remains a cornerstone, as highlighted by the fact that more than 50% of patients receive such a treatment. Indeed, RT is used either as a curative approach for localized tumors, as an adjuvant therapy to prevent relapse after surgery, or as a palliative treatment for metastatic disease. Although conventional X-ray RT is widely used in clinics due to their moderate cost and the numerous facilities available, several drawbacks need to be highlighted. Recently, a growing interest for charged particle (protons, carbon ions and alpha particles) RT emerged, as they harbor unique physical and biological characteristics opening new avenues for cancer treatment.

The inaugural lecture of the Chair Roger Van Geen will be devoted to describing how radiotherapy induces cancer cell killing and tumor control. In the framework of C. Michiels’ research, a particular interest relies on the comparison of the effects of X-ray RT vs RT using charged particles, including protons and alpha particles. For instance, the responses of different types of cancer cells as well as cell the adaptation of the tumor microenvironment after exposure to different radiation modalities as well as to chemotherapy have been investigated.

The deciphering of the pathways of cell responses to different types of radiations, both in vitro and in vivo, aims at boosting the effects of anti-cancer radiotherapy and developing new strategies to improve patient care.