20161107 OS19 Institut Jules Bordet Research Internship 2

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OFFRE de STAGE (Hors UMONS)
Origine de l’offre : Institut Jules Bordet
Boulevard de Waterloo 121
1000 Bruxelles
Description du stage : Voir ci-après
Date de réception : 07/11/2016
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Research internship in Brussels
Offer type: Research internship
Workplace: Institut Jules Bordet, Boulevard de Wtaerloo 121, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Skill area: Immunology, Oncology, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Beginning date: January or February 2017
Duration of the research internship (in month): at least 6
The Molecular Immunology Unit investigates lymphocyte activities in several clinical conditions: First, by
studying the organization and cellular state of CD4
+
T cells and germinal center B cells infiltrating the
breast cancer microenvironment. This work involves both prospective studies designed to understand
the functionality and subpopulations of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes present as well as their
organization in peritumoral tertiary lymphoid structures, and retrospective studies that seek to apply
these findings in the establishment of an immunological grade for breast cancer. Second, by identifying
and characterizing specific changes in gene expression associated with clinical progression during the
transition from pre-malignant disease to full-blown malignancy in patients with hypereosinophilic
syndrome that develop T cell leukemia/lymphoma. Third, by analyzing specific changes in lymphocyte
gene expression, with a focus on transcription factors regulating their normal activities, which are
aberrantly regulated in human cancer. Fourth, by studying CD4
+
T cells infected with human retroviruses
(the AIDS causing virus HIV-1 and the leukemia provoking virus HTLV-I) since these viruses have devised
effective methods for short-circuiting normal CD4
+
T cell activities and thus provide useful tools for
elucidating cellular control mechanisms. Our ultimate goal in the fight against cancer is to further
understand how we can harness the power and the specificity of the immune response through its
revitalization in the hostile tumor microenvironment to produce effective and sustained anti-tumor
immunity.
Mission
You will join the Molecular Immunology Unit to better understand the role of tumor infiltrating
lymphocytes (TIL) in breast cancer. One of the centers of our interest is the production of cytokines by
TIL which play an important role in anti/pro-tumor immune response. As an internship student, you will
conduct the studies of cytokines expression and measurement in normal tissues and breast cancer. You
will set up the RNA in situ hybridization method called RNAscope
®
ISH for detection of cytokines RNA
within intact tissues including normal secondary lymphoid structures. This provides molecular detection
in a morphological context to better understand cell-to-cell interactions. Identifying RNA expression at
the single cell level within the morphological context provides a great deal of information over
conventional techniques that analyze bulk tissue, such as identifying the precise cellular and sub-cellular
location of RNA, as well as validation of high-throughput expression analyses. After optimization, you will
investigate the expression of cytokines in breast cancer tissues in combination with an
immunofluorescence to identify which type of lymphocytes produce cytokines.

We are looking for highly motivated candidates. Their applications should contain an updated CV and a
letter of recommendation addressed to [e-mail].