About our research group/lab
Our research
The research activities of the Van Leenders group generally aim at translation of novel molecular and biological insights in prostate cancer to in daily pathological health care.
Our main research subjects are:
- Three-dimensional tumor architecture
- Cancer stem cells - Epithelial Mesenchymal Transformation (EMT)
- Histopathologic and molecular markers
Histopathologic and molecular markers
Prostate cancer is a disease with large variability in clinical behavior and outcome.
Our group is elucidating on new pathologic and molecular markers to predict tumors’ aggressiveness. Implementation of novel markers on pre-treatment diagnostic biopsies is essential to significantly affect health care for prostate cancer patients. We are identifying and validating several markers for their predictive value not only in surgical specimens but also in diagnostic biopsies.
Three-dimensional tumor architecture
Since 300 years, histologic and pathologic tissue investigations are performed on 5 µm thick slides.
Comprehension of the actual three-dimensional architecture of diseases, such as prostate cancer, is still very limited. By combining novel tissue processing techniques and state-of-the-art long distance confocal laser scanning microscopy, we are now for the first time able to study intact prostate samples up to a depth of 1 mm, giving profound insight in the three-dimensional structure of prostate cancer.
Cancer stem cells – Epithelial Mesenchymal Transformation
Last decade it has become clear that tumor cell subpopulations have different biologic capacity for carcinogenesis and cancer progression.
Our group sets out to identify stem cells and EMT in clinical prostate cancer, and to determine the function and molecular background of both important biological mechanisms in prostate cancer patients.
Key Publications
Funding & Grants
Stichting Jaap Schouten Foundation: De toegevoegde waarde van cribriforme groei bij prostaatbiopt risco weging.
