Research 

Our group focuses on the role of nerves in colorectal cancer.

How it started: Trying to identify non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC), we identified the biomarker NDRG4 (Melotte et al. JNCI, 2009,) which was incorporated in the FDA-approved Cologuard test. Studying the function of NDRG4 in the gut, we found that NDRG4 is specifically expressed in enteric neurons (Vaes et al., NGM, 2017) and modulates CRC by regulating the neural secretion of extracellular matrix proteins (Vaes et al., Embo Reports, 2020). Thereby, demonstrating that (enteric) neurons impact colorectal carcinogenesis.

What is going on: Currently, we focus on how neuronal signaling impacts CRC beyond the neuronal protein NDRG4. To do so, we use different CRC in vivo models such as mice and zebrafish, in which we impact/alter the (enteric) nervous system (e.g. hypoganglionic models, stimulation of neuronal activity). We mainly focus on the bi-directional communication of neurons, immune and cancer cells, with a specific focus on B cells. Next to the bi-directional communication between neurons and colorectal cancer cells, our group aims to understand how/why cancer cells hijack neural properties for development and progression. Related to that, we showed that cancer cells seem to actively direct DNA methylation machinery to neural-related genes, to preserve neural stemness (Idris et al. Epigenetics Chromatin, 2023). 

For more general information about the field of neuroscience in gastrointestinal cancers please check our review about the role of (enteric) nerves in gastrointestinal cancers (N.Vaes, Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2022). 

Over the years we established different tools to study the communication between neuro-immune-cancer cells in gastrointestinal tumors, some of them listed below. 

TOOLS