
PhD, Medical Sciences (cum laude), 2014, Radboud University (RU), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
MSc, Biomedical Sciences (bene meritum), 2008, RU, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
BSc, Biomedical Sciences, 2006, RU, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
I am a Senior Scientist with a dedication to improve outcomes for young sarcoma patients, and have over 10 years of expertise in translational sarcoma research. I recently relocated from London, UK, to join Children's Cancer Institute (CCI) and the Translational Tumour Biology group (TTB; A/Prof Paul Ekert), in which I lead an independent program focusing on sarcoma biology and the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. I am also the appointed Sarcoma Expert within the Preclinical Drug Testing Core (PDTC) and ZERO Childhood Cancer Program, and hold a Conjoint Senior Lecturer Appointment at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Personalised medicine, combination therapies, phosphoproteomics and sarcomas affecting the young are my key focus areas. I further have extensive experience in in vitro and in vivo drug testing of paediatric sarcoma models and a strong background in oncogenic signal transduction.
Main research activities of my team include:
We have a range of exciting student projects available, and I very much encourage enthusiastic students to contact our lab to discuss the opportunities (efleuren@ccia.org.au).
CI = (sole) Chief Investigator; CIA/B = Chief Investigator A/B; AI = Associate Investigator
2019: Early Career Researcher Travel Grant – Kids Cancer Alliance (KCA)
2019: Early Career Researcher (ECR) Rapid-fire 2nd place - KCA
2018: Travel grant – Biochemical Society
2017: Young Researcher Award - EURO EWING Consortium (EEC) and Peter Pan Charity
2016: Featured article in Nat Rev Cancer (Fleuren 2016; Nat Rev Cancer;16:83–98)
2015: Best Oncology thesis of the Netherlands and Vlaanderen 2015 – NVMO
2014: Travel grant - Dutch Cancer Society (KWF)
2011: Article and image in highlights section Clin Cancer Research (Clin Cancer Res 2011;17:7503)
Publications:
• van Erp AEM, …, Fleuren EDG, Versleijen-Jonkers Y, van der Graaf WTA. Olaparib and temozolomide in desmoplastic small round cell tumors: a promising combination in vitro and in vivo. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2020; 146:1659-1670.
• Holme H‡, Gulati A‡, Brough R‡, Fleuren EDG, et al. Chemosensitivity profiling of osteosarcoma tumour cell lines identifies a model of BRCAness. Sci Rep 2018;8(1):10614.
• van Erp AEM, Versleijen-Jonkers YMH, van der Graaf WTA, Fleuren EDG. Targeted therapy-based combination treatment rhabdomyosarcoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2018:17;1365-1380.
• Desar I, Fleuren E, et al. Systemic treatment for adults with synovial sarcoma. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2018:19;13.
• van Erp AEM, Hillebrandt-Roeffen MHS, van Houdt L, Fleuren EDG, et al. Targeting Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) in Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) with second-generation ALK inhibitor Ceritinib. Target Oncol 2017;12:815-826.
• Jones SE‡, Fleuren EDG‡, et al. ATR is a therapeutic target in synovial sarcoma. Cancer Res 2017;77:7014-7026.
• Brandsma I, Fleuren EDG, et al. Directing the use of DDR inhibitors in cancer treatment. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2017;26:1341-1355.
• Fleuren EDG‡, Vlenterie M‡, et al. Phosphoproteomic profiling reveals ALK and MET as novel actionable targets across synovial sarcoma subtypes. Cancer Res 2017;77:4279-4292.
• Vlenterie M, Hillebrandt-Roeffen MH, Schaars EW, Flucke UE, Fleuren ED, et al. Targeting the cyclin D1 pathway in Synovial Sarcoma. Ann Surg Oncol 2016; 23:2745–2752.
• Fleuren ED‡, Zhang L‡, Wu J, Daly RJ. The kinome ‘at large’ in cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 2016;16:83–98.
• Fleuren ED et al. The role of AXL and the in vitro activity of the receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor BGB324 in Ewing sarcoma. Oncotarget 2014;5:12753-68.
• Fleuren ED et al. Temsirolimus combined with cisplatin or bevacizumab is active in osteosarcoma models. Int J Cancer 2014;135:2770-82.
• Fleuren ED, et al. Theranostic applications of antibodies in oncology. Mol Oncol 2014;8:799-812.
• Fleuren ED et al. Targeting receptor tyrosine kinases in osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma: current hurdles and future perspectives. Biochim Biophys Acta - Reviews on Cancer 2014;1845:266-76.
• Fleuren ED et al. The strength of small: Improved targeting of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Receptor (IGF-1R) with F(ab’)2-R1507 fragments in Ewing sarcomas. Eur J Cancer 2013;49:2851-2858.
• Fleuren ED et al. Expression and clinical relevance of MET and ALK in Ewing sarcomas. Int J Cancer 2013;133:427-436.
• Fleuren ED et al. Predicting IGF-1R therapy response in bone sarcomas: immuno-SPECT imaging with radiolabeled R1507. Clin Cancer Res 2011;17:7693-703.
• Fleuren ED et al. Overexpression of the oncogenic signal transducer Gab2 occurs early in breast cancer development. Int J Cancer 2010;127:1486-92.
• Brummer T, Larance M, Herrera Abreu MT, Lyons RJ, Timpson P, Emmerich CH, Fleuren ED, et al. Phosphorylationdependent binding of 14-3-3 terminates signalling by the Gab2 docking protein. EMBO J 2008 3;27:2305-16.