Videos

Why do cancer patients relapse despite receiving treatment? This is often due to dormant cancer cells. These cells lie dormant in the body and manage to escape treatment, for example, chemotherapy. Can substances from camel and llama blood provide a breakthrough?

Did you know that cancer cells are not so different from our healthy cells? This makes it difficult for T-cells, important immune cells in our body, to recognise and fight cancer cells. Cancer researcher Heleen Hanssens (VUB-FWO) wants to give T-cells a helping hand by equipping them with more sensitive receptors, or antennae, that are pre-programmed to unmask cancer cells. In the lab, she is looking for the perfect form for these CAR antennae, so that they become more stable and better at detecting cancer cells. 

As if developing a cancer drug is not difficult enough, you still have to successfully get that medicine to the tumor. Tim Bomberna (Ghent University) explains how computer simulations show us the way.

With the current corona pandemic, viruses are seen as more dangerous than ever. But did you know that some viruses can help us fight cancer? Jolien De Munck is studying the potential of these so-called 'oncolytic viruses'.

Joeri Lambrecht (VUB - Vrije Universiteit Brussel) developed a simple blood test that allows for a faster, safer and cheaper detection of liver fibrosis.

Waiting for results after a medical examination often causes stress and uncertainty, especially in cancer patients. That is why Elien De Thaye is working on a method to determine the effect of a chemo treatment on people with peritoneal cancer more quickly on the basis of a so-called marker in the blood.

Up to 91 pills a week. That's how many medicines people take at the end of their lives. Kristel Paque is investigating whether all these pills are really necessary.

Did you know that 1 in 100 people who develop cancer are under 18 years of age? In order to diagnose cancer, a surgical biopsy is often required. But Ruben Van Paemel and his colleagues want to change this. They want to detect cancer in children by taking a simple blood sample.

Did you know that cancer researchers draw inspiration from applications such as Amazon, Facebook and even Tinder? Armed with a supercomputer, Celine Everaert, like these applications, processes large amounts of data. Not to sell books or to help people get on a date, but to offer cancer patients personalised treatments.

During cancer treatments medicines sometimes tend to remain in the kidneys of patients, which can be a problem because they can cause damage to healthy cells there. Maxine Crauwels is carrying out research to help guide the medication to the exit.  

Jessica Bridoux, researcher at the University of Brussels (VUB), is developing a diagnostic tool to track tumourcells that are trying to hide from our immune system.

Yana Dekempeneer is looking for a new, more effective method of treating breast cancer and she's putting her hope on camels...