News: Professor Vanhaesebroeck elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences
Professor Bart Vanhaesebroeck
Research Interests
Professor Bart Vanhaesebroeck's main research themes are Cancer Cell Biology, Cell Signalling and Tumour Angiogenesis
My research focuses on the Phosphoinositiole 3-kinase (PI3K) enzymes family, which are the key regulators of cell signaling pathways that control various cellular processes including proliferation, motility, survival, and apoptosis. PI3K signalling is often deregulated in cancer causing PI3K to be much more active in tumour than in normal cells. Our aim is to understand the roles of the PI3K and, because of its importance in normal physiology, to explore unique PI3K isoforms that could be new drug targets for cancer and other diseases. Already, our work has led to the development of PI3K inhibitors by the pharmaceutical industry and potential new drugs have reached Phase 1 clinical trials.
Our research combines basic biological discovery using mouse models, biochemistry and cell biology with efforts to translate our findings into therapeutic applications.
Profile
- June 2007 - now: Professor in Cell Signalling - Centre Lead, Centre for Cell Signalling – Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
- Jan 2006 - May 2007: Associate Member - Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research - Royal Free & University College Medical School Branch – London.
- Aug 2000 – Sept 2003: Lecturer; Oct 2003 – Sept 2005: Reader; Oct 2005 - May 2007: Professor in Cell Signalling - Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University College London, UK.
- April 2000 – Dec 2005: Assistant Member Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research - Royal Free & University College Medical School Branch – London.
- April 1998: Group Leader - Cell Signalling Group - Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Royal Free & University College Medical School Branch, London.
- Oct 1993 - April 1998: Postdoctoral Fellow - Prof. Michael Waterfield - Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Middlesex Branch, London
- Sept 1993: EMBO short-term postdoctoral fellowship - Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy - Prof. Tullio Pozzan.
- April 1991 – Aug 1993: Postdoctoral Fellow - Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Belgium - Prof. Walter Fiers.
- April 1990 - March 1991: Military Service - Laboratory of Toxicology & Laboratory of Immunology, University Hospital Ghent, Belgium - Lt. Col. Dr. Jan Willems & Prof. Geert G. Leroux-Roels.
- Oct 1985 - March 1990: PhD – 'Mechanisms of cytokine-mediated anti-tumour activity' - Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Ghent, Belgium - Promotor: Prof. Walter Fiers.
Funding
- CRUK Programme Grant – Principal Investigator – £2,200,000.
- BBSRC Programme Grant – Principal Investigator - £1,400,000.
- EU Marie Curie & EMBO postdoctoral fellowships (current lab members who held/hold these grants): Ezra Aksoy (EMBO, EU MC), Samira Alliouachene (EMBO, EU MC), Claire Chaussade (EU MC), Inma Martin-Berenjeno (EU MC), Salma Taboubi (EU MC).
- PhD Studentships (held/hold by current lab members): Ellie Burns (BBSRC-CASE with UCB), Cristiano Gonella (AstraZeneca), Michael Walsh (BBSRC-CASE with AstraZeneca), Maria Whitehead (EU MC), Michalina Gruszka (MRC).
Key Publications
Graupera M, Guillermet-Guibert J, Foukas LC, Phng LK, Cain RJ, Salpekar A, Pearce W, Meek S, Millan J, Cutillas PR, Smith AJ, Ridley AJ, Ruhrberg C, Gerhardt H, Vanhaesebroeck B. Angiogenesis selectively requires the p110alpha isoform of PI3K to control endothelial cell migration. Nature. 2008 May 29;453(7195):662-6. Epub 2008 Apr 30. PubMed PMID: 18449193.
Foukas LC, Claret M, Pearce W, Okkenhaug K, Meek S, Peskett E, Sancho S, Smith AJ, Withers DJ, Vanhaesebroeck B. Critical role for the p110alpha phosphoinositide-3-OH kinase in growth and metabolic regulation. Nature. 2006 May 18;441(7091):366-70. Epub 2006 Apr 12. PubMed PMID: 16625210
Ali K, Bilancio A, Thomas M, Pearce W, Gilfillan AM, Tkaczyk C, Kuehn N, Gray A, Giddings J, Peskett E, Fox R, Bruce I, Walker C, Sawyer C, Okkenhaug K, Finan P, Vanhaesebroeck B. Essential role for the p110delta phosphoinositide 3-kinase in the allergic response. Nature. 2004 Oct 21;431(7011):1007-11. PubMed PMID:15496927
Okkenhaug K, Bilancio A, Farjot G, Priddle H, Sancho S, Peskett E, Pearce W, Meek SE, Salpekar A, Waterfield MD, Smith AJ, Vanhaesebroeck B. Impaired B and T cell antigen receptor signaling in p110delta PI 3-kinase mutant mice. Science. 2002 Aug 9;297(5583):1031-4. Epub 2002 Jul 18. PubMed PMID: 12130661
Further Publications
For additional publications, please click here.
Research Group
Research Group: CELL SIGNALLING
Postdoctoral Research Fellows:
- Ezra Aksoy
- Khaled Ali
- Samira Alliouachene
- Benoit Bilanges
- Claire Chaussade
- Inma Martin-Berenjeno
- Larissa Moniz
- Roberto Pineiro
- Salma Taboubi
- Maria Whitehead
PhD Students:
- Michael Walsh
- Michalina Gruszka
Support Staff
- Wayne Pearce (Biological Services Support Manager)
External Activities
Review Committees
- Cancer Research UK, Biological Sciences Grant Committee
- Association for International Cancer Research, Science Committee
- Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Belgique – Committee SVS-2 Life & Health Sciences-2 (Chair)
Editorial:
- Biochemical Journal, Deputy Chairman
EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organisation), Member
Consultancy:
- Intellikine, San Diego (Scientific Advisory Board)
- GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK
- Activiomics, Academic Co-Founder
Commercial Enterprises:
- Together with Pedro Cutillas, Bart Vanhaesebroeck co-founded Activiomics, the first spin-out company of the BCI.
Membership of professional societies:
News
We have discovered the p110delta isoform of PI3K, which has become a drug target in immunity, inflammation and cancer. See amongst others:
- Our earlier work to develop small molecule inhibitors with PIramed, now Roche
- P110delta inhibitor development at Intellikine/Infinity
- Ongoing trials with p110delta inhibitors in haematological malignancies
- Bart Vanhaesebroeck elected to The Academy of Medical Sciences
