The liver is our body's largest internal organ and plays an essential role in many vital functions such as digestion and detoxification. As a result, although diseased, the liver is very well equipped to resist chemical agents sent into the body to treat it, such as chemotherapy. On the strength of his expertise in the field of multi-drug resistance in cancer, Professor Jean-Pierre Gillet, Director of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Biology at UNamur, is one of the linchpins of a new research project devoted to the resistance mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma conducted in collaboration with Drs. Lionel D'Hondt and Quentin Gilliaux, oncologists at the Medical Oncology Department of CHU UCL Namur - site de Godinne.

Olfactory receptors under the microscope

This project focuses on olfactory receptors, proteins localized in the membrane of sensory neurons in the nasal cavity, but which are also found expressed elsewhere in the body. Beyond their role in odor detection, these receptors have highly interesting properties in terms of treatment: they are, in fact, so-called "highly druggable " therapeutic targets, i.e. particularly receptive to small molecule drugs, but also to biological drugs such as, for example, antibodies. In other words, they are excellent candidates for the development of drugs that can bind to them effectively and modulate their function to produce the desired therapeutic effect. Based on the existing literature and Professor Gillet's previous work on liver cancer, the following question arose: would olfactory receptors be specifically expressed in liver tumors and, if so, play a role in their development and mechanisms of resistance to treatment?

To answer this question, an interdisciplinary collaboration was set up between various partners. The Biobank of the CHU UCL Namur in Godinne, which preserves tissue samples taken in particular during tumor removal, made it possible to build up a representative collection of healthy livers, diseased (cirrhotic) livers and liver tumor tissue. Messenger RNA was extracted from these three types of tissue, then sequenced (a method which identifies the genes expressed in the cells). Data analysis was then carried out at Namur Molecular Tech, a molecular biology technology platform located on the Godinne university site and directed by Dr Degosserie. This work led to the identification of six olfactory receptors specifically expressed in tumor cells, and hitherto little studied. They are therefore promising candidates for further investigation of the original hypothesis: deciphering the role of these receptors in the development of treatment-resistant liver tumors.

Support from Roche Belgium

Thanks to their joint expertise and the innovative nature of their research, UNamur and CHU UCL Namur - site de Godinne have been awarded a €50,000 grant to further explore the role of these six olfactory receptors. In collaboration with the CHU Research Laboratory and in particular Dr Morgane Canonne, the UNamur Cancer Molecular Biology Laboratory is currently developing in vitro models, such as organoids, or mini-organ, from liver tumor biopsies. These models will make it possible to test the biological role of olfactory receptors within the cell: does the expression of these receptors in tumor cells induce an increase in their proliferation or aggressiveness? Do they accelerate the generation of metastases in other tissues? Or, on the contrary, does a lack of activation of these receptors contribute to these mechanisms? Depending on the answers to these questions, it will be possible to assess whether these receptors constitute good therapeutic targets within the primary liver tumor, with a view to blocking its metastatic capacity or slowing its development. The ultimate aim is to test targeted treatments on cells from these models, with a view to developing therapeutic alternatives that will offer new hope for patients.

This article was published in the Fond Namur Université newsletter.

"The world of Dory the antibody" is the popularized title of Margaux Mignolet's thesis. This neuroscience researcher is part of the Unité de Recherche en Physiologie Moléculaire (URPhyM) at the Faculty of Medicine. She works under the supervision of Professor Charles Nicaise and is also a member of the NARILIS Institute. She studies pathogenic autoantibodies in patients with post-acute neurological sequelae of COVID-19.

"Many people still suffer from persistent symptoms after COVID (e.g. memory disorders, fatigue, pain,...). This condition is called long COVID. The mechanism is still unknown. One hypothesis is that patients have antibodies that attack their nervous system, inducing an autoimmune disease. The aim of my thesis is to determine whether patients have these antibodies. This will enable better patient care", explains Margaux Mignolet.

On Wednesday May 21, 2025, she brilliantly succeeded in popularizing her research topic and captivating the audience using clear, simple language, at the national inter-university final of the MT 180 competition. The aim of the competition is to inform the general public about the richness and interest of scientific research, while developing the communication skills of doctoral students. Each participant (doctoral student or doctor who graduated in the previous academic year) presents a clear, concise and convincing three-minute popular presentation in French on his or her thesis. All with the support of a single slide!

And Margaux Mignolet managed to convince the jury, as she won first prize in the competition!

A fine accolade for this enthusiast of the human body and medicine. "I've always been fascinated by how our bodies work, and I've always wanted to understand how diseases work and how to cure them. So I studied biomedical sciences in Namur to be able to work in research," she confides. "I never expected to win this prize! The fourteen other participants presented topics that were each more exciting than the last, and the pitches were really well written. I'm very happy to have won this prize, with Petra by my side, and to have been able to experience this competition alongside Thomas and Petra."

Doctoral students from UNamur shone particularly brightly in this competition, with second prize going to Petra Manja, a microbiology researcher at the Research Unit in Microorganism Biology (URBM) of the Faculty of Science (NARILIS Institute). She is a member of Prof. Régis Hallez's research group. Her thesis aims to understand the persistence mechanisms of the E. coli uropathogenic bacterium.

"Uropathogenic E. coli is one of the bacteria that causes cystitis. Treatment of cystitis is difficult, not least because of its persistence. When the bacteria are treated with antibiotics, the majority of the population dies, except for a small population that goes dormant and thus avoids treatment. Studies have shown that a molecule called alarmone plays a role in this form of persistence. The aim of my research is to find out more about this role. To understand it, I'm interested in the protein that produces alarmone, called SpoT. The idea is to find a regulator of SpoT that will be activated when bacteria are treated with antibiotics. This regulator will in turn activate SpoT which leads to alarmone production and bacterial dormancy," she explains. "I really enjoyed this experience, I learned how to popularize my work to make it accessible to the general public. It's also for them that we do science", she reacts.

Her presentation was entitled: "Dormir pour ne pas mourir".

Thomas Rouma, also a researcher at URBM (Faculty of Science) and the NARILIS Institute, and whose doctoral thesis is co-directed by Professors Eric Muraille and Xavier De Bolle, is studying the protective immune response against lung infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in mice.

His presentation was entitled: "How to get rid of a freeloader!"

Congratulations to Margaux, Petra and Thomas, who rose to the challenge of presenting their thesis in 180 seconds!

For more than 20 years, the Namur university community has been mobilizing in support of the fight against cancer through the FNRS's Télévie operation. In 2025, a team made up of staff members and students enabled the implementation of several initiatives combining conviviality, solidarity and generosity.

Students got the ball rolling on March 26 with an improvisation match which, thanks to the involvement of the ImproNam kot-à-projet for the 2nd year running, raised a handsome 1,126 euros. Then, on April 10, the university community vibrated to the sound of the greatest hits at a first Blind Test organized by the General Student Assembly and UNamur, before meeting up again on April 17 for a sandwich lunch organized in partnership with the Au P'tit Gourmand sandwich shop.

All in all, it was a cheque for 20,000 euros that Vice-Rector for Research Carine Michiels and Professor Anne-Catherine Heuskin, both Télévie project promoters, presented at the grand closing evening in the presence of FNRS Secretary General Véronique Halloin and all Télévie scientists.

The University of Namur sincerely thanks the members of the community, alumni, donors and sponsors who have associated themselves with its actions in 2025.

In 2025, no fewer than 6 Télévie research projects are being carried out at UNamur's NARILIS Institute, exploring innovative approaches to better understand and treat pancreatic, lung, breast and skin cancers, colorectal cancer as well as carcinoma of the neck and head. This work mobilizes varied expertise, from an interdisciplinary perspective, and with the ambition of improving treatment efficacy and patients' quality of life.

Boosted by the success of 2025, the UNamur Télévie team is already setting a date with members of the university community and its partners for new moments of conviviality in aid of Télévie.

The three scientific experiments were selected from 29 projects for "their scientific value, technical feasibility and budgetary compatibility", states the public service of Federal Science Policy (Belspo).

Historically, Belgium has built up notable expertise and influence within the European Space Agency (ESA). Today, UNamur finds itself at the heart of an experiment that will be deployed during Belgian astronaut Raphaël Liegéois's stay aboard the ISS in 2026. The BeBlob project, conducted at the interface of biology and physics, aims to study Physarum polycephalum, commonly known as a "blob".

Boris Hespeels is a researcher at the ILEE Institute and the Beblob project leader alongside Anne-Catherine Heuskin, a researcher at the Narilis Institute. "We're also interested in its amazing ability to dry out completely and survive extreme stresses, including the vacuum of space, extreme temperatures or even high doses of radiation causing massive DNA damage," the two Namur researchers continue.

Building on their experience gained on previous ISS missions with other biological models, UNamur teams have developed a new miniaturized "vessel" for carrying different blob samples. In orbit, the astronaut will rehydrate the samples, which will then have to adapt to their new environment. The objectives are twofold: firstly, to assess the effects of the orbital environment on blob metabolism; secondly, to study DNA repair in samples previously irradiated on Earth by massive doses. Scientists will analyze how this organism repairs its genome in microgravity, and determine whether this process is altered by spaceflight.

This work should make it possible to identify key players in cell protection and repair under extreme conditions. Combined with the many experiments carried out at UNamur, they could ultimately lead to the development of new molecules capable of protecting astronauts, preserving fragile biological samples or even limiting the side effects of radiotherapy by protecting patients' healthy cells.

Discover the other scientific experiments selected to be carried out on board the International Space Station (ISS) during astronaut Raphaël Liégeois's mission in 2026

UNIVERSEH (European Space University for Earth and Humanity) is part of the "European Universities" initiative promoted by the European Commission. Its ambition is to develop a space to meet the societal, social and environmental challenges arising from European space policy.