Research at the De Duve Institute and Brussels Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
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Research at the de Duve Institute and Brussels Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research August 2008 Introduction 3 Miikka Vikkula 8 Frédéric Lemaigre 15 Annabelle Decottignies 20 Charles de Smet 25 Emile Vanschaftingen 28 Françoise Bontemps 35 Jean-François Collet 40 Louis Hue 45 Fred Opperdoes 52 Pierre Courtoy 60 Etienne Marbaix 68 Jean-Baptiste Demoulin 73 Jean-Paul Coutelier 77 Thomas Michiels 81 Pierre Coulie 86 LICR Benoît Van den Eynde 96 Etienne De Plaen 103 Pierre van der Bruggen 105 Nicolas Van Baren 115 Jean-Christophe Renauld 120 Stefan Constantinescu 126 The de Duve Institute 1 2 THE DE DUVE INSTITUTE: AN INTERNATIONAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE In 1974, when Christian de Duve founded the Institute of Cellular Pathology (ICP), now renamed the de Duve Institute, he was acutely aware of the constrast between the enormous progress in biological sciences that had occur- red in the 20 preceding years and the modesty of the medical advances that had followed. He therefore created a research institution based on the principle that basic research in biology would be pursued by the investigators with complete freedom, but that special attention would be paid to the exploitation of basic ad- vances for medical progress. It was therefore hi- ghly appropriate for the Institute to be located on the campus of the Faculty of Medicine of Emile Van Schaftingen the University of Louvain (UCL). This campus is located in Brussels. The University hospital (Clinique St Luc) is located within walking dis- The main commitment of the members of tance of the Institute. the de Duve Institute is research. Discovery is the endpoint of their efforts and the only ele- ment taken into account for their evaluation. The Institute functions in symbiosis with the Faculty of Medicine and many of its senior members hold a Faculty position and have teaching appointments. The influx of docto- ral students and postdoctoral fellows from the University is also a key element in the success of the Institute. Benoît Van den Eynde 3 In 1978 the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research decided to base its Belgian branch within the walls of the de Duve Institute. A fruitful collaboration between the two Institutions has been pur- sued since that time. Even though the two Institutes are completely independent, the collaboration between the scientists of the de Duve Institute and the Ludwig Institute is extremely close and the sharing of resources is considerable. The de Duve Institute is managed by a directorate of three scientists, presently composed of Emile Van Schaftingen, Benoît Van den Eynde, and Miikka Vikkula. The directorate is appointed by the Board of directors, which comprises the Rector of the University of Louvain, one of the Pro-rectors, the General Administrator of the University and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. Also present in the Board of directors are eminent members of the business community. About 170 researchers work in the de Duve Institute and in the Ludwig Institute, assisted by a technical and administrative staff of about 80 members. Despite this relatively small size, the de Duve Institute has the ambition of pur- suing research projects of high quality under conditions that allow original, long-term pro- jects to be pursued. The Institute has a limited endowment, which is a source of key financing for priority issues, such as the creation of new laboratories for promising young researchers. We expect that the quality of our researchers, Miikka Vikkula supported by sound organisational approaches, will enable the de Duve Institute to stand at the forefront of European Research. 4 DIRECTORATE SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL Emile VAN SCHAFTINGEN, Director Jean-Charles CEROTTINI, Lausanne Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Miikka VIKKULA Switzerland Benoît VAN DEN EYNDE Philip COHEN, University of Dundee, UK Daniel LOUVARD, UMR144 CNRS/Institut Curie, France BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gilbert VASSART, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Norbert MARTIN, President Henri BEAUFAY ADMINISTRATION AND Luc BERTRAND GENERAL SERVICES Thierry BOON-FALLEUR Philippe PENNINCKX, Finance and Alfred BOUCKAERT Administration Manager Yolande de SELLIERS, External Relations François CASIER Manager Bernard COULIE Lydia HAUBOLD, Accountant Etienne DAVIGNON Delphine LEBBE, Executive Secretary Emmanuel de BEUGHEM Alain BUISSERET, Technical Manager Christian de DUVE Jean-Pierre SZIKORA, Informatics Support Jean-François DENEF Roland KEUNINGS Christian VAN LANGENHOVE, Workshop Dan COMAN, Workshop Anne-Marie KUMPS Jean PETERBROECK Maurice VELGE de Duve Institute Avenue Hippocrate 74-75 1200 Brussels, Belgium [T] +32 (02) 764 75 50 [F] +32 (02) 764 75 73 [W] www.deduveinstitute.be 5 DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION COUNCIL (DEC) Membership President : Baron PETERBROECK Members Mr E. van BAREN Honorary Presidents : Mr J. BERTEAU Me P. HOURDEAU Mr & Mrs R. BOON-FALLEUR Baron van der REST (†) Mr. M. BRAGARD Baron de TILLESSE, Honorary President Mr V. BRUNEAU of the Board of Directors Mrs G. van CUTSEM-STAES POLET Vicomtesse de DUVE Honorary Vice-Presidents : Mr S. EMSENS Mr A. LAGASSE de LOCHT (†) Vicomte della FAILLE de WAERLOOS Baronne M. VELGE Baronne de GERLACHE de GOMERY Mr P. GUILMOT Fellowship and/or Laboratory Sponsors : Mr V. JACOBS van MERLEN Mrs C. DELORI Mr F. JAMAR Mrs G. DELORI (†) Mr L. LHOIST Mrs H. DELORI Comte J. de LIEDEKERKE Mr P. DELORI Dr J. MAILLET Mrs L. DRESSE de LEBIOLES Mrs O. MAIRLOT Mrs Ph. FABRI Mr B. MATTLET Comte B. de GRUNNE Mrs de MOREAU de GERBEHAYE Baron van GYSEL de MEISE Mrs A. PIERON Mr P. HOLLENFELTZ du TREUX Mr J. SAMAIN Mr & Mrs M. HUYNEN Mr & Mrs SOLVAY de LA HULPE Mr & Mrs A. LACROIX Baronne H. van der STRATEN WAILLET Mrs M. LHOIST Dr E. VAN ASSCHE Mr & Mrs D. MATHIEU Mr E. VAN CAMPENHOUT Mr E. MOREL de BOUCLE ST DENIS Dr P. VAN HONSEBROUCK Baron & Baronne PETERBROECK Mr Ph. de VISSCHER Mr M. RUIZ de ARCAUTE Vicomte P. de SPOELBERCH AXA Dr J. TROQUET ING Mrs J. VAN CAUWENBERGHE BEKAERT Baron M. VELGE CABLERIE D’EUPEN Mrs M. de VISSCHER CARLSBERG IMPORTERS FONDS JACQUES GOOR CARMEUSE UMICORE CHEMITEX ACKERMANS & VAN HAAREN FONDATION M. et R. de HOVRE ASCO INDUSTRIES GENZYME BELGIUM GBL GROUPE LHOIST PFIZER SIBEKA 6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In 2007, the de Duve Institute has attracted major gifts from several foundations, companies and individuals who have been very generous. These sponsors are providing the resources that enable our scientists to better understand and treat diseases that afflict people around the world. Gifts are the lifeblood of new research initiatives and private resources are crucial in underwriting the costs of new laboratories. On an annual basis, fund-raising from private sources has nearly tripled during the past decade over levels achieved previously and now supports 6 % of the Institute’s budget. The appeal for sponsoring postdoctoral fellowships was also widely followed. In 2007 the Institute has been able to allocate the following fellowships, entirely supported by our donors : the «Haas-Teichen» fellowship was attributed to Nicolas DIF and Jhansi KOTA the «Pierre Lacroix» fellowship to Nisha LIMAYE the «de Visscher» fellowship to Christan PECQUET two other fellowships were awarded by the Institute to Mariana IGOILLO and Artur CORDEIRO We express our gratitude to all who contributed to the financing of post-doctoral fellows and state- of-the art research laboratories at the de Duve Institute, ensuring that this institute will remain at the top of the field in biomedical research. Jean PETERBROECK, President of the Development and Expansion Council 7 Michella GHASSIBE, Postdoctoral Fellow Nicole REVENCU, Pediatrician, Genetics Resident Arash GHALAMKARPOUR, M.D., Graduate Student Virginie AERTS, Graduate Student Mélanie UEBELHOER, Graduate Student Vinciane WOUTERS, Graduate Student Thomas PALM, Graduate Student Laurence DESMYTER, Graduate Student Anne Van EGEREN, Technician Dominique COTTEM, Technician Antonella MENDOLA, Technician Miikka VIKKULA, Member Matthiew GERADIN (till 30 November 2007), Technical Assistant Laurence BOON, Plastic Surgeon, Research Nicolas WARNIER (since 1 December 2007), Associate Technical Assistant Mustapha AMYERE, Postdoctoral Fellow CLAUDE MAUYEN, Technical Assistant Pascal BROUILLARD, Postdoctoral Fellow Liliane NICULESCU, Secretary Nisha LIMAYE, Postdoctoral Fellow GENETICS OF HUMAN CARDIOVASCULAR ANOMALIES, CLEFT LIP PALATE AND CEREBRAL TUMORS The basic aim of our research is to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying a variety of disorders of the cardiovascular and skeletal systems, a well as certain cancers. We are especially interested in evaluating the importance of genetic variation in human disease development. The precise cause of many disorders remains unknown, and current treatments are therefore aimed at alleviating symptoms. Identification of the primary causes as well as modulating factors would allow for the development of treatments that are more “curative” and specific. As this research is based on human DNA extracted from blood and tissue samples obtained from patients, the group works tightly together with several clinicians and multidisciplinary centers worldwide (e.g. Centre des Malformations Vasculaires, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc; Vascular Anomalies Center, Children’s Hospital, Boston, USA, Consultation des Angiomes, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, and Centre labio- palatin, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc). VENOUS MALFORMATIONS AND Venous malformations (VM) are bluish- GLOMUVENOUS MALFORMA- purple cutaneous and mucosal