Olivier Feron is the head of the Cancer Translational Research Laboratory at the Institut de recherche expérimentale et clinique (IREC) of the University of Louvain. Lately, his team significantly contributed to the understanding of the phenotypic adaptation of tumor cells to cycling hypoxia and the use of lactate, glutamine and fatty acids as alternate energy fuels (vs. glucose) in tumors. Current research topics of the lab include the study of different aspects of the tumor metabolism impacting on, or influenced by, the tumor microenvironment, in particular hypoxia and acidosis. The lab of Prof. O. Feron has also implemented a technological platform to identify and validate new chemical entities (NCE) targeting tumor metabolism and stimulating anticancer immunity, as well as innovative prognostic cancer biomarkers.
The expertise of Olivier Feron’s lab is acknowledged by more than 255 publications in peer-reviewed journals (h index = 81, source GS 01/2022), patents and grants from various foundations engaged in the fight against cancer and from major regional, national and european agencies. Honors include receiving the Prize Galien and being one of the youngest scientists elected to the Royal Academy of Medicine.
Olivier Feron is a member of the board of the Belgian Association for Cancer Research (BACR) and of the FRS-FNRS Doctoral School dedicated to Experimental Oncology. He is also member of the scientific committee of the (belgian) Foundation aganinst cancer and editor-in-chief of Frontiers in Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs.
Recent publications:
Dierge E, Debock E, Guilbaud C, Corbet C, Mignolet E, Mignard L, Bastien E, Dessy C, Larondelle Y, Feron O. Peroxidation of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the acidic tumor environment leads to ferroptosis-mediated anticancer effects. Cell Metab. 2021 Aug 3;33(8):1701-1715.e5.
Vander Linden C, Corbet C, Bastien E, Martherus R, Guilbaud C, Petit L, Wauthier L, Loriot A, De Smet C, Feron O. Therapy-induced DNA methylation inactivates MCT1 and renders tumor cells vulnerable to MCT4 inhibition. Cell Rep. 2021 Jun 1;35(9):109202.
Corbet C, Bastien E, Santiago de Jesus JP, Dierge E, Martherus R, Vander Linden C, Doix B, Degavre C, Guilbaud C, Petit L, Michiels C, Dessy C, Larondelle Y, Feron O. TGFβ2-induced formation of lipid droplets supports acidosis-driven EMT and the metastatic spreading of cancer cells. Nat Commun. 2020 Jan 23;11(1):454.
Corbet C, Bastien E, Draoui N, Doix B, Mignion L, Jordan BF, Marchand A, Vanherck JC, Chaltin P, Schakman O, Becker HM, Riant O and Feron O. Interruption of lactate uptake by inhibiting mitochondrial pyruvate transport unravels tumor growth inhibitory and radiosensitizing effects. Nature Comm 2018.
Corbet C, Feron O. Tumor acidosis : from the passenger to the driver's seat. Nature Rev Cancer 2017, Oct;17(10):577-593.
Corbet C, Feron O. Cancer cell metabolism and mitochondria: nutrient plasticity for TCA cycle fueling. Biochim Biophys Acta (Review on Cancer) 2017 Aug;1868(1):7-15.
Corbet C, Pinto A, Martherus R, Santiago de Jesus JP, Polet F, Feron O. Acidosis Drives the Reprogramming of Fatty Acid Metabolism in Cancer Cells through Changes in Mitochondrial and Histone Acetylation. Cell Metab 2016 Aug 9;24(2):311-23.
Michiels C, Tellier C, Feron O. Cycling hypoxia: a key feature of the tumor microenvironment. Biochim Biophys Acta (Review on Cancer) 2016 Aug;1866(1):76-86.