Le lundi 2 février 2026, Madame Léa ZANELLA, titulaire d'un Master en Sciences pharmaceutiques, à finalité spécialisée en pratique officinale, conseil et suivi pharmaceutique et d’un Certificat de formation à la recherche en sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques, présentera l'examen en vue de l'obtention du grade de Doctorat en sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques, sous la direction de Madame Agnès NOËL et de Monsieur Frédéric KRIDELKA.

Cette épreuve consistera en la défense publique d'une thèse intitulée : "Lymph node remodeling and search for prognostic biomarkers: experimental and translational approaches". 

Le jury sera composé de :

Michel FREDERICH (Président), Christophe DEROANNE (Secrétaire), Abel CORDOBA (Centre Oscar Lambret), Pascal DE TULLIO, Maxime FASTREZ (ULB), Frédéric KRIDELKA, Agnès NOËL.

Résumé de la thèse

Cervical cancer is characterized by a preferential dissemination to lymph nodes, even at early or locally advanced stages. Lymph node involvement is a critical prognostic factor in clinical practice, guiding therapeutic decisions. 

This work aims to identify biomarkers that can predict the lymphatic spread of tumor cells, thereby preventing systemic dissemination in patients. Two patient cohorts were analyzed: one with early-stage disease and another with locally advanced disease. Tumor and lymph node biopsies underwent immunohistochemical analyses, followed by computerized quantification. Then, clinical and biological data were integrated to develop a prognostic signature. An intensive immune remodeling of the lymph nodes was observed in both cohorts. An in vivo model, the “ear sponge assay”, was employed and optimized to reproduce the lymphatic metastatic cascade observed in human samples. A metabolomic analysis conducted on plasma from patients with locally advanced cervical cancer aims to correlate patients' prognostic clinical data with their metabolome. 

Altogether, these findings hold promise to improve patient care and support clinicians in the management of patients.