{ "title": "VUB Researcher Awarded Title of Commander in the Order of the Crown ", "modified_at": "2025-01-15 15:37:53", "published_at": "2024-07-21 10:00:00", "url": "https://press.vub.ac.be/vub-researcher-awarded-title-of-commander-in-the-order-of-the-crown", "short_url": "http://prez.ly/wFbd", "culture": "en", "language": "EN", "subtitle": "Vandaag, op de nationale feestdag, kent koning Filip de eretitel van Commandeur in de Kroonorde toe aan VUB-onderzoekster Damya Laoui voor haar baanbrekend onderzoek naar een vaccin tegen kanker. ", "slug": "vub-researcher-awarded-title-of-commander-in-the-order-of-the-crown", "body": "

Today, on Belgium's National Day, King Philippe conferred the honorary title of Commander in the Order of the Crown upon VUB researcher Damya Laoui for her groundbreaking research into a cancer vaccine.

Damya Laoui, based at the VUB campus in Elsene, is internationally acclaimed for her research into immunotherapies that enhance patients' immune systems to combat cancer cells. Her innovative approach has earned her numerous accolades, including being named an "Innovator under 35 Europe" by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and being recognized as the greatest scientific talent of the Low Countries by New Scientist.

Her research has led to promising breakthroughs in immunology. Cancer cells can corrupt other blood cells within a tumor, causing, for example, white blood cells to "switch sides" to support the cancer and suppress other white blood cells. Previously, it was thought that all cells in a tumor were compromised, including dendritic cells, which identify cancer cells and activate the immune system. Laoui demonstrated that there are two types of dendritic cells that do not become corrupted. This discovery forms the foundation for a potential vaccine, where these cells are isolated after the tumor is removed by a physician. This process could help detect metastases and activate the immune system if necessary.

 

\n \n
\n \n
\n \n \n
\n
\n\n
© VUB/Saskia Vanderstichele
\n \n

 

 

 

 

\n
\"Sam
\n
\n Sam Jaspers\n Medewerker persrelaties\n \n
\n

 

 

 

 

", "mainvisual": { "thumbnail": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/6fff4dd6-68d0-4c07-8536-eead30f33c65/-/scale_crop/250x250/center/-/format/auto/", "large": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/6fff4dd6-68d0-4c07-8536-eead30f33c65/-/preview/500x500/-/format/auto/", "original": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/6fff4dd6-68d0-4c07-8536-eead30f33c65/" }, "header": { "large": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/8fa9d83f-3e6f-4b0e-bf1a-c66c1b304a73/-/format/auto/", "release": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/8fa9d83f-3e6f-4b0e-bf1a-c66c1b304a73/-/format/auto/" }, "images": [ { "caption": "\u00a9 VUB/Saskia Vanderstichele", "original": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/1bd622e0-ea45-410f-a454-b37f9c2f24b2/", "medium": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/1bd622e0-ea45-410f-a454-b37f9c2f24b2/-/preview/500x500/-/format/auto/", "small": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/1bd622e0-ea45-410f-a454-b37f9c2f24b2/-/preview/200x200/-/format/auto/", "thumbnail": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/1bd622e0-ea45-410f-a454-b37f9c2f24b2/-/preview/100x100/-/format/auto/", "square": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/1bd622e0-ea45-410f-a454-b37f9c2f24b2/-/scale_crop/200x200/center/-/format/auto/", "squaresmall": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/1bd622e0-ea45-410f-a454-b37f9c2f24b2/-/scale_crop/58x58/center/-/format/auto/" } ], "contacts": [ { "name": "Sam Jaspers", "company": null, "description": "Medewerker persrelaties", "email": "sam.jaspers@vub.be", "website": "https://www.vub.be", "address": null, "telephone": null, "mobile": "+32 4 99 28 34 00", "twitter": null, "facebook": null } ], "author": { "first_name": "Leen", "last_name": "Vandevelde" }, "format_version": 5 }