Supported by the Win4SpinOff program of the SPW Research, and led by the University of Liège through the Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (MSLab, Research Unit MolSys / Faculty of Sciences), and Namur, within the Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Biology, (NARILIS, Faculty of Medicine), the VENOM2 project explores the potential of peptides derived from animal venoms to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic solutions in oncology.
Animal venoms are a remarkable source of molecular diversity. Their study, known as venomomics, allows for the identification and characterization of the peptides and proteins that compose them. Optimized by evolution to interact rapidly and selectively with biological targets, some of these peptides could offer new opportunities to better detect, understand, or target cancer cells.
This is the avenue being explored by the VENOM2 project—short for Venom-based Exploration for Novel Oncology Molecules—which has recently received Win4SpinOff funding, a program from SPW Recherche designed to support the development of research results with a view to creating spin-off companies in Wallonia.
VENOM2 is initially focusing on a refractory cancer for which treatment options remain limited. This choice is based in particular on the growing interest in certain biological targets involved in tumor progression and treatment resistance, which peptides derived from venoms could help to better detect, modulate, or target.
The project is being conducted under the joint supervision of Professors , Loïc Quinton (Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, MSLab, ULiège), and , Jean-Pierre Gillet (Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Biology, LBMC, UNamur). It draws on the complementary nature of their respective areas of expertise: on the one hand, mass spectrometry, proteomics, and the detailed analysis of complex biological mixtures such as venoms; on the other hand, the study of mechanisms of cancer resistance to treatments.
It is led by Lou Freuville, a joint PhD student at MSLab ULiège and LBMC UNamur. In this context, she benefits from the joint supervision of her two advisors to carry out this project.
Specifically, VENOM2 will combine venom fractionation, functional screening on healthy and cancerous cell models, and advanced structural analyses to identify peptides capable of specifically targeting cancer cells or mechanisms involved in tumor progression. The approach thus combines ULiège’s analytical expertise in peptide characterization with UNamur’s expertise in biological and cellular cancer models.
The project’s uniqueness lies in its dual potential for commercialization. Some peptides could be developed as targeting agents for molecular imaging, contributing to more precise diagnosis. Other candidates could have therapeutic potential by selectively modulating key biological pathways in oncology.
“With VENOM2, we aim to transform a biodiversity that remains largely underutilized into opportunities for precision oncology. The Win4SpinOff funding gives us the means to take significant new steps in research and the opportunity to test our ideas in the market. It embodies our commitment to developing innovative therapeutic solutions for cancers resistant to conventional treatments,” emphasize Professors Loïc Quinton and Jean-Pierre Gillet.
Beyond its scientific ambition, VENOM2 is part of a drive for technology transfer and value creation, laying the groundwork for a future spin-off company specializing in the development of venom-derived peptides for human health, with the support of the technology transfer teams at ULiège, UNamur, and ULiège’s commercialization and investment company, Gesval.
“This project lies at the intersection of several areas of expertise: detailed venom analysis, cancer biology, and the development of relevant cellular models. The goal is to identify peptides capable not only of recognizing certain tumor cells, but also of opening new avenues for better understanding and targeting mechanisms involved in cancers resistant to current treatments,” explains Lou Freuville.
The project was developed with the support of technology transfer teams: Yasmina Zeroual for ULiège, Daniel Maréchal for Gesval, as well as Eléana Somville and Joël Marinozzi for UNamur.Wednesday, June 10 2026
Five years on from the July 2021 floods, four studies carried out by engineers at the Hydraulics in Environmental and Civil Engineering (HECE) laboratory at the University of Liège shed new light on these extreme floods.
L'édition 2026 de la Nuit des Chercheur·es se tiendra le vendredi 25 septembre 2026. Impliquée dans la Nuit des Chercheur·es depuis sa création, l'ULiège vous invite à participer à cette manifestation de culture scientifique.
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