Research Team
CMIM : Cellular Immunology
Address :
Faculty of Sciences Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels
Tel:+32-2-6291979
Fax:+32-2-6291981
URL: http://www.vub.ac.be/infovoor/onderzoekers/research/team.php?team_code=CMIM
Head: DE BAETSELIER PATRICK ( mail )
Contact: OMASTA ELEONORA ( mail )
Objectives:
The research unit CIMM, founded by Patrick De Baetselier in 1983, initially focused on cellular immunology, mainly in the
context of tumour biology. The basic themes were the analysis of immune escape mechanisms as well as the mechanisms
involved in the invasive and metastatic behaviour of cancer cells. Since several common points may exist in the ways either
cancer cells or parasites evade immune surveillance, cellular interactions involved in parasite immunology became a second
focus of interest. Keeping up with the advances in molecular biology, the cellular work has now been broadened to include
the molecular-genetic analysis of both tumour-host and parasite-host interactions. At present, this unit focuses on three
major research programmes:
1. Immunobiology of cancer metastasis, with a focus on Tumour Immunity, both from a fundamental point of view and in the
context of the eventual development of improved cancer immunotherapies, with further focus on the molecular and cellular
mechanisms involved in Invasion and Metastasis.
2. Immunoparasitology, with Parasite Control being the major issue. This subgroup is studying on one hand the interactions
between parasites and host factors, and on the other hand the mechanisms of parasite-induced immune suppression
3. Vaccine Technology, which is a recent field of research within our group, that builds upon a newly developed
adjuvant-carrier system based on a Pseudomonas lipoprotein (see below). The value and potential of this system for us in
vaccine design is being assessed in different pathological situations, from parasitic, viral and bacterial infections to cancer.