Publication in Nature Cancer 2025 : Innate immunity and the NF-κB pathway control prostate stem cell plasticity, reprogramming and tumor initiation

Innate immunity and the NF-κB pathway control prostate stem cell plasticity, reprogramming and tumor initiation.
Jiang C.,  Song Y., Rorive S., Allard J., Tika E., Zahedi, Z., Dubois C., Salmon I., Sifrim A., Blanpain C.
Nature Cancer 2025 June 23.  doi.org/10.1038/s43018-025-00994-3
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Publication in Cell 2024 : Dynamic regulation of tissue fluidity controls skin repair during wound healing.

Dynamic regulation of tissue fluidity controls skin repair during wound healing.
Sarate RM, Hochstetter J, Valet M, Hallou A, Song Y, Bansaccal N, Ligare M, Aragona M, Engelman D, Bauduin A, Campàs O, Simons BD, Blanpain C.
Cell. 2024 Aug 11:S0092-8674(24)00825-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.031. Online ahead of print.
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Cédric Blanpain elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Prof. Cédric Blanpain has been elected as a new member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Founded in 1780, this Academy is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. Its members are selected through a competitive process that recognizes individuals for their excellence, leadership, and their preeminent contribution to their discipline and to society.

Publication in Nature 2023 : The extracellular matrix dictates regional competence for tumour initiation.

The extracellular matrix dictates regional competence for tumour initiation.
Bansaccal N, Vieugue P, Sarate R, Song Y, Minguijon E, Miroshnikova YA, Zeuschner D, Collin A, Allard J, Engelman D, Delaunois AL, Liagre M, de Groote L, Timmerman E, Van Haver D, Impens F, Salmon I, Wickström SA, Sifrim A, Blanpain C.
Nature. 2023 Nov;623(7988):828-835. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06740-y. Epub 2023 Nov 15.
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Publications in Nature 2023 : a new drug prevents EMT, metastasis and resistance to anti-cancer therapy

Pharmacological targeting of netrin-1 inhibits EMT in cancer.
Lengrand J, Pastushenko I, Vanuytven S, Song Y, Venet D, Sarate RM, Bellina M, Moers V, Boinet A, Sifrim A, Rama N, Ducarouge B, Van Herck J, Dubois C, Scozzaro S, Lemaire S, Gieskes S, Bonni S, Collin A, Braissand N, Allard J, Zindy E, Decaestecker C, Sotiriou C, Salmon I, Mehlen P, Voet T, Bernet A, Blanpain C.
Nature. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06372-2.
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Netrin-1 blockade inhibits tumour growth and EMT features in endometrial cancer.
Cassier PA, Navaridas R, Bellina M, Rama N, Ducarouge B, Hernandez-Vargas H, Delord JP, Lengrand J, Paradisi A, Fattet L, Garin G, Gheit H, Dalban C, Pastushenko I, Neves D, Jelin R, Gadot N, Braissand N, Léon S, Degletagne C, Matias-Guiu X, Devouassoux-Shisheboran M, Mery-Lamarche E, Allard J, Zindy E, Decaestecker C, Salmon I, Perol D, Dolcet X, Ray-Coquard I,Blanpain C*, Bernet A*, Mehlen P* (*last co-authors)
Nature. 2023 Aug 2. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06367-z.
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Publication in Nature 2023 : RHOJ controls EMT-associated resistance to chemotherapy

RHOJ controls EMT-associated resistance to chemotherapy.
Debaugnies M, Rodriguez-Acebes S, Blondeau J, Parent MA, Zocco M, Song Y, Latil M, Dubois C, Moers M, Impens F, Van Haver D, Rorive S, Allard J, Uemura A, Sotiropoulou PA, Salmon I, Méndez J, Blanpain C.
Nature 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05838-7
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Yura Song at the Young scientist special session

Yura Song (PhD student in bioinformatics), was selected to be one of the twelve speakers of the Young scientist special session, which was co-organized by Stanford University, K-bioX (a non-profit organization of Korean scientists in USA), Department of Pharmacy – Seoul National University, College of Medicine – Catholic university of Korea, College of Medicine – Chungang University (all are located in Seoul, Korea)​.  She got third prize with the paper “NR2F2 controls malignant squamous cell carcinoma state by promoting stemness and invasion and repressing differentiation“. Federico Mauri, Corentin Schepkens,…and Cédric Blanpain. Nature Cancer, volume 2, pages 1152–1169 (2021).

Publication in Nature Cell Biology 2022 : Mesp1 controls the chromatin and enhancer landscapes essential for spatiotemporal patterning of early cardiovascular progenitors

Mesp1 controls the chromatin and enhancer landscapes essential for spatiotemporal patterning of early cardiovascular progenitors.
Lin X, Swedlund B, Ton MN, Ghazanfar S, Guibentif C, Paulissen C, Baudelet E, Plaindoux E, Achouri Y, Calonne E, Dubois C, Mansfield W, Zaffran S, Marioni JC, Fuks F, Göttgens B, Lescroart F, Blanpain C.
Nat Cell Biol. 2022 Jul;24(7):1114-1128. doi: 10.1038/s41556-022-00947-3. Epub 2022 Jul 11.PMID: 35817961
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EOS granted to a project coordinated by Prof. Cédric Blanpain

An EOS (Excellence of Science) grant has been granted to a consortium led by Prof. Blanpain. This four-year program, which wants to promote joint research between researchers in the Flemish and French-speaking communities, is the most important research programs in Belgium.

The granted project, coordinated by Prof. Cédric Blanpain, also involves Stein Aerts (KU Leuven), Liesbet Lagae (Interuniversity Microelectronics Center), Jean-Christophe Marine (KU Leuven) and Yvan Saeys (Universiteit Gent).

Together, they will work on the Cell-cell cOmmuNicaTion As a driver of Cancer cell state identiTy and Decode the impact of cell-cell communications on the identity of tumor states in skin cancers.

EMBO long-term fellowship to Chen Jiang

A long-term fellowship has been granted to Chen Jiang (postdoctoral researcher in the lab) by the EMBO, a prestigious organization of more than 1800 leading researchers that promotes excellence in life sciences.   Thanks to this prestigious fellowship, Chen will be able to work on the mechanisms regulating stem cell multipotency during tissue repair and tumor initiation.

Publication in Nature Cancer 2021 : NR2F2 controls malignant squamous cell carcinoma state by promoting stemness and invasion and repressing differentiation

NR2F2 controls malignant squamous cell carcinoma state by promoting stemness and invasion and repressing differentiation.
Federico Mauri, Corentin Schepkens, Gaëlle Lapouge, Benjamin Drogat, Yura Song, Ievgenia Pastushenko, Sandrine Rorive, Jeremy Blondeau, Sophie Golstein, Yacine Bareche, Marie Miglianico, Erwin Nkusi, Milena Rozzi, Virginie Moers, Audrey Brisebarre, Maylis Raphaël, Christine Dubois, Justine Allard, Benoit Durdu, Floriane Ribeiro, Christos Sotiriou, Isabelle Salmon, Jalal Vakili and Cédric Blanpain. Nature Cancer, volume 2, pages 1152–1169 (2021)
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Publication in Nature 2020 : Fat1 deletion promotes hybrid EMT state, tumour stemness and metastasis

Fat1 deletion promotes hybrid EMT state, tumour stemness and metastasis.
Pastushenko I, Mauri F, Song Y, de Cock F, Meeusen B, Swedlund B, Impens F, Van Haver D, Opitz M, Thery M, Bareche Y, Lapouge G, Vermeersch M, Van Eycke YR, Balsat C, Decaestecker C, Sokolow Y, Hassid S, Perez-Bustillo A, Agreda-Moreno B, Rios-Buceta L, Jaen P, Redondo P, Sieira-Gil R, Millan-Cayetano JF, Sanmatrtin O, D’Haene N, Moers V, Rozzi M, Blondeau J, Lemaire S, Scozzaro S, Janssens V, De Troya M, Dubois C, Pérez-Morga D, Salmon I, Sotiriou C, Helmbacher F, Blanpain C.
Nature. 2020 Dec 16. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-03046-1. 
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Cédric Blanpain receives the Francqui Prize 2020

Cédric Blanpain has been awarded by the Francqui-Collen Prize 2020.  This prize is the highest scientific distinction in Belgium.  He is the 25th researcher from the Université libre de Bruxelles to win this prestigious prize.  On December 16th his Majesty the King Philippe will award him the prize officially.  

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Yura Song selected as a member of KOSEABe

Yura Song has been selected as a member of Korean Scientists & Engineers Association in Belgium (KOSEABe), which is established based on the policy of Ministry of Science, ICT and Future planning of South Korea.  The main purpose of this association is to encourage Korean researchers in Belgium to perform the research and promote interactions between scientists and engineers.  Yura joined the lab in 2018 to perform a Phd thesis in bioinformatics.
 

Publication in Nature 2020 : Heterotypic cell–cell communication regulates glandular stem cell multipotency

Heterotypic cell-cell communication regulates glandular stem cell multipotency.
Centonze A, Lin S, Tika E, Sifrim A, Fioramonti M, Malfait M, Song Y, Wuidart A, Van Herck J, Dannau A, Bouvencourt G, Dubois C, Dedoncker N, Sahay A, de Maertelaer V, Siebel CW, Van Keymeulen A, Voet T, Blanpain C.
Nature. 2020 Aug;584(7822):608-613. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2632-y. 
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Publication in Nature 2020 : Mechanisms of stretch-mediated skin expansion at single-cell resolution

Mechanisms of stretch-mediated skin expansion at single-cell resolution.
Aragona M, Sifrim A, Malfait M, Song Y, Van Herck J, Dekoninck S, Gargouri S, Lapouge G, Swedlund B, Dubois C, Baatsen P, Vints K, Han S, Tissir F, Voet T, Simons BD, Blanpain C
Nature 2020 Jul 29. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2555-7
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European Research Council : new ERC grant for Pr. Cédric Blanpain

For the third time, Pr. Cédric Blanpain – Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université libre de Bruxelles – has obtained a grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This new project called “TrackingTumorStates” aims to define at the single cell resolution, the mechanisms regulating tumor transition states, responsible for tumor growth, differentiation, invasion, metastasis and resistance to therapy.

Cédric Blanpain – Welbio Investigator, Director of the Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) – had obtained an ERC starting grant in 2007 (“CancerStem” 2007-2013), during which his lab identified the cells of origin of the most frequent epithelial cancers, demonstrated the existence of cancer stem cells within their natural microenvironment and identified intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms regulating their functions.

He has also obtained an ERC consolidator grant in 2014 (“EXPAND” 2014-2019), during which his group defined the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating tissue expansion and cell fate decision during postnatal growth and repair of epithelial tissues.

With his new ERC Advanced Grant (TrackingTumorStates, 2020-2025), he and his team will define at the single cell level the different tumor states. Within a given tumor, some cancer cells actively proliferate, while others differentiate, others migrate and give rise to metastasis, or finally some cells enter in a dormant state and resist to chemotherapy.

In the project TrackingTumorStates, using multidisciplinary approaches that combine single-cell lineage tracing, single-cell genomics, epigenomics and transcriptomics together with pharmacological treatment and genetic perturbations, Prof. Blanpain and his team will define in a comprehensive and integrated manner the identities and functions of distinct tumor states at single-cell resolution. By identifying the mechanisms that regulate tumor cell state transitions and functions, Blanpain and colleagues hope to define new tumor vulnerabilities and provide new therapeutic opportunities.

“I am so grateful to the ERC to fund my new research project studying tumor transition states and their role during tumor progression, metastasis and response to therapy. Without the ERC, my lab would never be able to make many of the discoveries we made over the last 10 years. It is so exciting and encouraging for all our European countries to have the ERC, which had made so much good things and change the dynamic of the European research” comments Cédric Blanpain, the first Belgian scientist that already obtained three ERC grants since the launch of the first ERC call in 2007.

Publication in Sciences Advances 2020 : Epidermal autonomous VEGFA/Flt1/Nrp1 functions mediate psoriasis-like disease

Benhadou F, Glitzner E, Brisebarre A, Swedlund B, Song Y, Dubois C, Rozzi M, Paulissen C, del Marmol V, Sibilia M, Blanpain C  
Epidermal autonomous VEGFA/Flt1/Nrp1 functions mediate psoriasis-like disease
Science Advances 2020 Jan 8 ; 6(2):eaax5849.  doi : 10.1126/sciadv.aax5849
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Pr. Cédric Blanpain received the 2019 AstraZeneca Price

Prof. Cédric Blanpain was awarded the price for biomedical research 2019 from the AstraZeneca Foundation.  Every two years, the AstraZeneca Foundation, together with the Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique (ARMB) and the Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van België (KAGB), awards a prize to a Belgian biomedical scientist for research that has contributed, or could contribute, to improving human health.  S.A.R. Princess Astrid gave this distinction to Prof. Blanpain at the Royal Academy in Brussels. Jean-Claude Marcourt, the Belgian’s French Community Minister for Research, together with other guests including the members of the Blanpain’s lab, were also present at the ceremony. 

Crédits : AstraZeneca Foundation – Laurent Dubrule

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Publication in Nature 2018: Overcoming the resistance to therapy in skin cancer

Sánchez-Danés A, Larsimont JC, Liagre M, Muñoz-Couselo E, Lapouge G, Brisebarre A, Dubois C, Suppa M, Sukumaran V, Del Marmol V, Tabernero J,Blanpain C.A
Slow-cycling LGR5 tumour population mediates basal cell carcinoma relapse after therapy.
Nature. 2018 Oct; 562(7727):434-438. doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0603-3. Epub 2018 Oct 8.
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