PINT OF SCIENCE FESTIVAL
19-21 MAY 2025
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Doors open at 19:00, so don't hesitate to come a bit earlier to get a nice seat.
Finding new uses for existing drugs
Gauthier Bouche
Director Clinical Research
The Anticancer Fund
A good toolbox is an essential partner to fix problems at home. A good ‘drugbox’ is as essential to fix health problems. Testing existing drugs against diseases other than the ones they have been approved for – a process known as drug repurposing – has been made famous by COVID-19. A no-brainer at first sight, the process of drug repurposing is not that straightforward. Using examples of major successes and plain failures, you will learn that repurposing works best when creativity and serendipity meet science and collaboration.
Leveling up the immune system to fight cancer
Diana Campillo Davó
Postdoctoral researcher
University of Antwerp
The immune system is one of our greatest allies against viruses and bacteria. It is comprised of different organs, proteins, and cells. Among the different types of immune cells, there are those that can train the immune system to recognize foreign bodies and those that can attack them. But did you know that we can modify and train our immune cells, in what is called cancer immunotherapy, to specifically target cancer cells? In this talk, you will learn the latest types of immunotherapies available and how we can genetically engineer immune cells to use them in the fight against cancer.
