Members Overview

Finsen laboratory

At the Finsen laboratory we have a long tradition for research on cancer invasion and metastasis, with particular emphasis on the proteolytic mechanisms in the cancer-directed breakdown of the extracellular matrix. The degradation of the extracellular matrix is carried out through the interaction of several extracellular proteases, of which the plasminogen activation system and the matrix metalloproteases play central roles.

Website:  http://www.finsenlab.dk/

Sheffield University

Current understanding suggests that circulating tumour cells attach to the vascular endothelium of the target organ as a key step in the metastatic cascade. This attachment precedes and is required for tumour cell extravasation and subsequent invasion. The blood supply within the liver is different to that of other organs in that the hepatic portal veins and arteries merge to form a hepatic sinusoid which bathes the hepatocytes in blood and drains into a central vein. The lining of the hepatic sinusoids consists of endothelial cells which are therefore the most likely candidates for adhesion of circulating tumour cells

Translational Cancer Research Unit

The Translational Cancer Research Unit (Antwerp, Belgium) is dedicated to cancer research with an obvious impact on diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and with an emphasis on breast cancer. TCRU is a collaborative effort of the General Hospital Sint-Augustinus and the University of Leuven.

Website:  http://www.tcru.be