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Cancer treatments often cause unintended damage to healthy tissue, which can significantly affect patients’ quality of life. Lara Barazzuol’s lab investigates the adverse effects of radiotherapy in brain and head and neck tumours, with a particular focus on childhood brain cancers. Despite its clinical importance, the biological mechanisms driving these side effects are still poorly understood, and no effective therapeutic strategies currently exist. Her research aims to uncover these mechanisms and develop approaches to mitigate treatment-associated toxicity, bridging fundamental biology with translational applications. The team is also exploring innovative combination therapies to expand the therapeutic window of advanced radiotherapy modalities, including proton therapy.

Lara Barazzuol’s lab, by using a combination of model systems and methodologies, aims:

  • To understand the molecular and biological mechanisms underlying cancer treatment-induced adverse effects, with a primary focus on radiotherapy.
  • To evaluate candidate therapeutic interventions in preclinical models to mitigate these adverse effects.
  • To develop novel cancer therapies that combine (particle-based) radiotherapy with pharmacological agents, including immunotherapy.
  • To investigate how defects in the DNA damage response contribute to brain aging and the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Relevance

Ameliorating cancer treatment-induced adverse effects

Lara Barazzuol’s lab investigates how radiotherapy and other cancer treatments affect the brain and head and neck regions. By uncovering the biological mechanisms behind treatment-related side effects, the lab aims to develop strategies that improve long-term outcomes and quality of life for tumour survivors. This is especially important for paediatric brain tumour patients, who often live long but face lasting effects from early treatment.

Research Interests

  • By using post-mortem human brain samples, we investigate how the normal-appearing human brain responds to the tumour and its treatment. For this, we perform integrated transcriptomic and tissue analyses.

  • Within this line of research, we investigate the DNA damage-induced neuro-inflammatory and immune response, with a particular focus on microglia. To this end, we use cellular, organoid and animal models.

  • Although proton therapy is increasingly being used, little is known about the response of the brain at the cellular level to protons compared to standard photons used in conventional radiotherapy. This line of research is particularly relevant for paediatric brain tumour patients, who are largely treated with proton therapy.

  • Genome instability and loss of proteostasis represent two primary hallmarks of ageing. However, little is known about their interaction. Here, we aim to elucidate how (radiation-induced) DNA damage can lead to proteome instability and consequent neurodegeneration.

Contact

Greetje Noppert Secretary - Section Molecular Cellbiology

University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) 
Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems
Lara Barazzuol - Molecular radiation biology
Internal Zip code FB31
Antonius Deusinglaan 1
9700 AD Groningen
The Netherlands

Visiting Address

University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems
Antonius Deusinglaan 1
Building 3215, 5th floor, room 569
9713 AV Groningen
The Netherlands