Marc Lacroix
Encyclopedia
Marc Guy Albert Marie Lacroix [pronunciation: "mɑːk lakʁwa"] is a biochemist
(educated at University of Liège
) and a researcher
(b: 28 April 1963 in Verviers
, Wallonia, Belgium
) who specializes in breast cancer
biology
, metastasis
and therapy.
He works at Institut Jules Bordet
(Brussels
, Belgium
). He lives in Baelen
cells
(BCC) frequently metastasize
to the skeleton
, where they lead to tumor-induced osteolysis and subsequent morbidity. Marc Lacroix has investigated the interrelationships between BCC and bone cells (osteoblast
s, the bone-building cells, and osteoclast
s, the bone-degrading cells). With colleagues, he discovered that BCC produce soluble factors increasing osteoclast
activity, notably interleukin-11, the production of which is reduced by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor aspirin
. BCC also reduce the proliferation of osteoblasts and their production of collagen, the main protein component of bone. Marc Lacroix also examined the response BCC to the anti-osteolytic agent calcitonin
In close collaboration with Prof. Guy Leclercq (Institut Jules Bordet, Belgium), Marc Lacroix has studied various aspects of estrogen receptor
biology, ligand-binding and transcriptional activity, and life-cycle.
available for the scientific and medical community is growing rapidly. According to PubMed
, a search engine offering access to the MEDLINE
database
of citations and abstracts of biomedical research articles, 7918 papers containing the expression «breast cancer» were published in 2006. Their number was 3592 in 1996, 1455 in 1986 and only 626 in 1976. In general, the older information is overlayed by more recent data and forgotten to some extent. In 2004, Lacroix and colleagues collected and assembled data from hundreds of articles related to the biology
, pathology
and genetics
of in situ, invasive and metastatic
breast cancer
s. These papers were covering a time period of about 25 years. Lacroix et al. concluded that despite undergoing increasing genetic alteration, most individual breast cancer
s rather surprisingly maintain their phenotype
when they evolve from in situ to the metastatic
state. This conclusion was in opposition to a progression model widely accepted at that time, which was suggesting that carcinoma
in situ could evolve into invasive carcinoma
and subsequently produce metastases
through an accumulation of molecular abnormalities possibly allowing extensive phenotype
changes and subsequent gain of aggressiveness.
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
(educated at University of Liège
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
) and a researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
(b: 28 April 1963 in Verviers
Verviers
Verviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...
, Wallonia, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) who specializes in breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, metastasis
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
and therapy.
He works at Institut Jules Bordet
Institut Jules Bordet
Institut Jules Bordet is a general hospital and research institute of the Université Libre de Bruxelles which specializes in oncology. It is located in Brussels, Belgium...
(Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
). He lives in Baelen
Baelen
Baelen is a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Baelen had a total population of 4,060. The total area is 85.73 km² which gives a population density of 47.36 inhabitants per km².-People living in Baelen:...
Earlier work
Breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
cells
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
(BCC) frequently metastasize
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
to the skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
, where they lead to tumor-induced osteolysis and subsequent morbidity. Marc Lacroix has investigated the interrelationships between BCC and bone cells (osteoblast
Osteoblast
Osteoblasts are mononucleate cells that are responsible for bone formation; in essence, osteoblasts are specialized fibroblasts that in addition to fibroblastic products, express bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin.Osteoblasts produce a matrix of osteoid, which is composed mainly of Type I collagen...
s, the bone-building cells, and osteoclast
Osteoclast
An osteoclast is a type of bone cell that removes bone tissue by removing its mineralized matrix and breaking up the organic bone . This process is known as bone resorption. Osteoclasts were discovered by Kolliker in 1873...
s, the bone-degrading cells). With colleagues, he discovered that BCC produce soluble factors increasing osteoclast
Osteoclast
An osteoclast is a type of bone cell that removes bone tissue by removing its mineralized matrix and breaking up the organic bone . This process is known as bone resorption. Osteoclasts were discovered by Kolliker in 1873...
activity, notably interleukin-11, the production of which is reduced by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor aspirin
Aspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
. BCC also reduce the proliferation of osteoblasts and their production of collagen, the main protein component of bone. Marc Lacroix also examined the response BCC to the anti-osteolytic agent calcitonin
Calcitonin
Calcitonin is a 32-amino acid linear polypeptide hormone that is producedin humans primarily by the parafollicular cells of the thyroid, and in many other animals in the ultimobranchial body. It acts to reduce blood calcium , opposing the effects of parathyroid hormone . Calcitonin has been found...
In close collaboration with Prof. Guy Leclercq (Institut Jules Bordet, Belgium), Marc Lacroix has studied various aspects of estrogen receptor
Estrogen receptor
Estrogen receptor refers to a group of receptors that are activated by the hormone 17β-estradiol . Two types of estrogen receptor exist: ER, which is a member of the nuclear hormone family of intracellular receptors, and the estrogen G protein-coupled receptor GPR30 , which is a G protein-coupled...
biology, ligand-binding and transcriptional activity, and life-cycle.
Recent work
The amount of data on breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
available for the scientific and medical community is growing rapidly. According to PubMed
PubMed
PubMed is a free database accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. The United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health maintains the database as part of the Entrez information retrieval system...
, a search engine offering access to the MEDLINE
MEDLINE
MEDLINE is a bibliographic database of life sciences and biomedical information. It includes bibliographic information for articles from academic journals covering medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and health care...
database
Bibliographic database
A bibliographic database is a database of bibliographic records, an organized digital collection of references to published literature, including journal and newspaper articles, conference proceedings, reports, government and legal publications, patents, books, etc...
of citations and abstracts of biomedical research articles, 7918 papers containing the expression «breast cancer» were published in 2006. Their number was 3592 in 1996, 1455 in 1986 and only 626 in 1976. In general, the older information is overlayed by more recent data and forgotten to some extent. In 2004, Lacroix and colleagues collected and assembled data from hundreds of articles related to the biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
and genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
of in situ, invasive and metastatic
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
s. These papers were covering a time period of about 25 years. Lacroix et al. concluded that despite undergoing increasing genetic alteration, most individual breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
s rather surprisingly maintain their phenotype
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
when they evolve from in situ to the metastatic
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
state. This conclusion was in opposition to a progression model widely accepted at that time, which was suggesting that carcinoma
Carcinoma
Carcinoma is the medical term for the most common type of cancer occurring in humans. Put simply, a carcinoma is a cancer that begins in a tissue that lines the inner or outer surfaces of the body, and that generally arises from cells originating in the endodermal or ectodermal germ layer during...
in situ could evolve into invasive carcinoma
Carcinoma
Carcinoma is the medical term for the most common type of cancer occurring in humans. Put simply, a carcinoma is a cancer that begins in a tissue that lines the inner or outer surfaces of the body, and that generally arises from cells originating in the endodermal or ectodermal germ layer during...
and subsequently produce metastases
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
through an accumulation of molecular abnormalities possibly allowing extensive phenotype
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
changes and subsequent gain of aggressiveness.
External links
- Free access to "Relevance of breast cancer cell lines as models for breast tumours: an update"
- Free access to "Gene regulation by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, two breast cancer cell lines exhibiting highly different phenotypes"
- Free access to "Estrogen receptor of primary breast cancers: evidence for intracellular proteolysis"
- Free access to "Stable 'portrait' of breast tumors during progression: data from biology, pathology and genetics"
- Free access to "P53 and breast cancer, an update"
- Free access to "Persistent use of ‘‘false’’ cell lines"
- Free access to "Significance, detection and markers of disseminated breast cancer cells"
- Free access to "Disseminated tumor cells: detection, markers and prognostic/predictive significance"
- Free access to "Hereditary breast cancer: an update on genotype and phenotype"
- Free access to "Establishment and characterization of three new breast-cancer cell lines"
- Université libre de Bruxelles – Marc Lacroix