When the VUB Yamina Krossa Fund was established in 2018, fund founder and former breast cancer patient Yamina Krossa had a clear goal in mind: to finance 2.5 years of research by VIB-VUB Prof. Dr. Ir. Damya Laoui and her research team. This team is working on developing a cancer vaccine to prevent recurring tumors and metastases. Today, Yamina Krossa presented an amount of €443,327, made possible thanks to the support of alumni, VUB supporters, and companies. With this funding, Prof. Dr. Ir. Damya Laoui’s team can prepare the first clinical studies.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Damya Laoui’s research team discovered that certain immune system cells within tumors—dendritic cells—can protect the body against cancer. By capturing fragments of cancer cells, these cells can both activate the immune system’s “soldiers” and generate a memory against the cancer.
Five years ago, Yamina Krossa decided to commit herself to helping secure funding for Prof. Dr. Ir. Damya Laoui’s cancer research. Having overcome breast cancer herself, Yamina has been actively supporting research into the development of a cancer vaccine against relapse and metastases. Cancer research is extremely costly, and philanthropic donations are therefore essential to provide the research team at VUB with the financial resources they need.
“The satisfaction of reaching and even exceeding the target amount to support this important cancer research is all the greater because it is the result of the efforts of so many people, through both small and large actions or donations,” says Yamina Krossa.
A remarkable act of support came from stand-up comedian Alex Agnew, who donates €1 per ticket sold from his show to the fund. The expected revenue of €90,000 is once again a triumph for the fund.
Kickoff for preparation of the first clinical study thanks to fundraising
With the funds raised, the researchers were able to invest in the development of the cell therapy. Over the past years, the research team generated mouse models to study metastases and relapse. The funding also allowed them to purchase a CT scanner for the lab animals. Moreover, they succeeded in demonstrating that dendritic cell therapy can effectively inhibit metastases and relapse, significantly extending the survival of the mice.
“Without the VUB Yamina Krossa Fund, initiating a clinical study would be unthinkable. My team and I thank all the donors for their support! Thanks to the funds raised, the translation of our therapy to the clinic will soon be possible, and we will be able to start testing the therapy on patients in the near future,” says Damya Laoui.
The funding now gives them time to investigate which dendritic cell produces the best results for each type of tumor. The cell therapy is also being expanded to other cancer types, such as lung and ovarian cancer. A postdoctoral researcher will focus on the effects of existing treatments, such as chemotherapy, on the dendritic cell therapy. The goal is to treat the first patients with the developed cell therapy within four years.
More information about the VUB Yamina Krossa Fund can be found at: Yamina Krossa Fund | Vrije Universiteit Brussel (vub.be)
Jo Van Ginderachter, Damya Laoui en Yamina Krossa