Investigating Translation and Metabolism in mTORC2-driven Cancer

The aim of this project to investigate the role(s) of mTORC2 in mRNA translation and cellular metabolism, in the context of lung cancer development. This work will be carried out in the laboratory of Dr.

Pierre Close, at the GIGA-Uliège, who made seminal discoveries in the field of translation regulation and cancer biology.

This ambitious project will bring an opportunistic synergy between the expertise in cancer metabolism of the researcher, Dr. Blomme, and the knowhow in translation regulation of the host laboratory.

In addition, the project relies on the combination of cutting-edge unbiased “omics” approaches and involves the characterisation of unique mouse models recently generated in the host lab.

It is further supported by four high-profile international collaborations that will provide essential technical expertise in metabolomics and lipidomics, and support the clinical aspects of the proposal. As part of an interdisciplinary training, Dr. Blomme will carry out a secondment in the translational research group of Prof.

Vooijs, at Maastricht University, in order to learn ex-vivo organoid models of lung cancer. The proposed project addresses fundamental questions of cell biology in a highly clinically relevant context. As such, it holds the potential to result in the design of future anticancer therapeutic strategies.

Indeed, the mTORC2 pathway is very often dysregulated in lung cancer.

Therefore, by deciphering the molecular mechanisms that sustain mTORC2-dependent metabolism, this work will provide innovative strategies to target mTORC2 signalling in lung cancer.