Projects per year
Personal profile
Expertise
Timo De Groof studied Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Ghent where he graduated in 2015. During his master studies, he specialized both in Biomedical Biotechnology and Structural Biology and Biochemistry. During his last year of studies, De Groof performed research in the biopharmaceutical company Argenx and gained experience on the identification and characterization of llama-derived antibodies in inflammatory diseases and oncology.
From 2015 to 2019, De Groof worked as a PhD student in the Medicinal Chemistry group at VU University Amsterdam under the supervision of prof. dr. Martine Smit where he focused on development and characterization of nanobodies targeting viral G protein-coupled receptors while also focusing on different applications of these nanobodies as therapeutics and research tools.
As of 2019, first as a postdoctoral researcher and currently as a professor, De Groof is working at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) in the Molecular Imaging and Therapy group where his research focuses on diagnostic and therapeutic applications of nanobodies in immuno-oncology.
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
FWOTM1292: VIROSCAN: Viral G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling in Oncogenesis and Immune evasion
1/11/25 → 31/10/28
Project: Fundamental
-
FWOSB205: SIROCCO: optimization of nanobody Screening dIRected tOwards nanoCar-t Cell develOpment
Blommaert, E. M. M., Devoogdt, N., Breckpot, K. & De Groof, T.
1/11/25 → 31/10/29
Project: Fundamental
-
FWOTM1347: VISTA – Viral GPCR-Induced Signalling in HCMV-Associated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Vinchesi, M. C., De Groof, T. & Goyvaerts, C.
1/11/25 → 31/10/28
Project: Fundamental
-
VLAOO46: O&O project: MODUMA Mechanisms of Optimizing Disease Management: Unveiling Macrophage Approaches
1/02/25 → 31/01/27
Project: Applied
-
IOF3036: INTEGRAL - Integrating a multimodal approach to address current challenges in immunotherapy
Van Ginderachter, J., Laoui, D., Movahedi, K., Hadadi, E., Stijlemans, B., Raes, G., Devoogdt, N., Lahoutte, T., De Groof, T., Goyvaerts, C., D'Huyvetter, M., Debacker, J., Breckpot, K., Franceschini, L., Raes, G. & Revets, H.
1/01/25 → 31/12/29
Project: Applied
-
Depleting IL1R2+ Tumor-Infiltrating Regulatory T Cells with an ADCC-Prone Nanobody Construct Boosts the Efficacy of Anti-PD1 Immunotherapy
Arnouk, S. M., Kancheva, D., Van Damme, H., Courtoy, G. E., Mora Barthelmess, R., Van Craenenbroeck, J., Lebegge, E., Elkrim, Y., Assaf, N., Heremans, Y., Murgaski, A., De Groof, T. W. M., Clappaert, E., Debraekeleer, A., Brughmans, J., Blancke, G., Kiss, M., Forsyth, R., Waelput, W., Boon, L., & 9 others, 1 Dec 2025, In: Cancer Research. 85, 23, p. 4681-4700 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Integrating in vitro screening in drug development to reduce animal use: a case approach
Van Campenhout, R., De Groof, T., Kadam, P., Kwak, B. R., Muyldermans, S., Devoogdt, N. & Vinken, M., 15 Sept 2025. 1 p.Research output: Unpublished contribution to conference › Poster
-
Nanobody-based Pannexin1 channel inhibitors increase survival after cardiac ischemia/reperfusion
Rusiecka, O. M., Molica, F., Clochard, L., Van Campenhout, R., De Groof, T., Bes, V., Devoogdt, N., Muyldermans, S., Vinken, M. & Kwak, B. R., 2025, In: Cell and Tissue Research. 402, 1, p. 121-137 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Nanobody-based pannexin1 channel inhibitors reduce inflammation in acute liver injury
Van Campenhout, R., De Groof, T., Kadam, P., Kwak, B. R., Muyldermans, S., Devoogdt, N. & Vinken, M., 9 May 2025. 1 p.Research output: Unpublished contribution to conference › Poster
-
Optimizing antibody PET imaging: a comparative preclinical analysis of nanobody and minibody-like PET tracers
Zeven, K., Dierick, H., Sevenois, M., Baudhuin, H. V., Navarro, L., Van den Block, S., Saliën, J., Breckpot, K., Bridoux, J., De Groof, T. & Devoogdt, N., Aug 2025, In: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. 52, 10, p. 3833-3845 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus)
Datasets
-
Generation and Characterization of Novel Pan-Cancer Anti-uPAR Fluorescent Nanobodies as Tools for Image-Guided Surgery
Mateusiak, L. (Creator), Floru, S. (Researcher), De Groof, T. (Researcher), Wouters, J. (Researcher), Declerck, N. (Researcher), Debie, P. (Researcher), Janssen, S. (Researcher), Zeven, K. (Researcher), Puttemans, J. (Researcher), Vincke, C. (Researcher), Breckpot, K. (Project Member), Devoogdt, N. (Project Member) & Hernot, S. (Supervisor), Zenodo, 26 Mar 2025
DOI: https://zenodo.org/records/15089920
Dataset
-
Nanobody-based pannexin1 channel inhibitors reduce inflammation in acute liver injury
Van Campenhout, R. (Creator), De Groof, T. (Creator), Kadam, P. (Researcher), Muyldermans, S. (Supervisor), Devoogdt, N. (Supervisor) & Vinken, M. (Supervisor), Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2023
DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02137-1
Dataset
-
Dataset of AXL-specific single domain antibodies show diagnostic potential and anti-tumor activity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Vandewalle, N. (Creator), Satilmis, H. (Creator), Verheye, E. (Creator), Wang, Y. (Creator), De Groof, T. (Creator), Bridoux, J. (Creator), Kerre, T. (Creator), De Beule, N. (Creator), De Becker, A. (Creator), De Bruyne, E. (Creator), Menu, E. (Creator), Vanderkerken, K. (Creator), Breckpot, K. (Creator), Devoogdt, N. (Creator) & De Veirman, K. (Creator), Theranostics, 15 Apr 2024
DOI: 10.7150/thno.91456, https://zenodo.org/records/15111364
Dataset
-
dataset of Specific imaging of CD8 + T-Cell dynamics with a nanobody radiotracer against human CD8β
De Groof, T. (Creator), Lauwers, Y. (Creator), De Pauw, T. (Creator), Saxena, M. (Creator), Vincke, C. (Creator), Van Craenenbroeck, J. (Creator), Chapon, C. (Creator), Grand, R. L. (Creator), Raes, G. (Creator), Van Ginderachter, J. (Creator) & Devoogdt, N. (Creator), Zenodo, 19 Mar 2025
Dataset
-
Dataset of Development and evaluation of nanobody tracers for noninvasive nuclear imaging of the immune-checkpoint TIGIT
De Groof, T. (Creator), Zeven, K. (Creator), Ceuppens, H. (Creator), Awad, R. M. (Creator), Ertveldt, T. (Creator), de Mey, W. (Creator), Meeus, F. (Creator), Raes, G. (Creator), Breckpot, K. (Creator) & Devoogdt, N. (Creator), Zenodo, 24 Mar 2025
Dataset
Prizes
-
AIMMS annual meeting PhD oral presentation competition 2018
De Groof, Timo (Recipient), Apr 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
AIMMS annual meeting poster prize award 2016
De Groof, Timo (Recipient), Apr 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
-
-
FIGON DMD Medicinal Chemistry PhD poster prize award 2017
De Groof, Timo (Recipient), Oct 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
-
Testing of nanobody-based drug candidates: a comparative in vitro analysis of pannexin1-targeting agents
Daan Peeters (Speaker), Timo De Groof (Contributor), Nick Devoogdt (Contributor), Mathieu Vinken (Contributor) & Raf Van Campenhout (Contributor)
8 Sept 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
-
Development and testing of nanobody-based drug candidates for the treatment of liver inflammation
Daan Peeters (Presenter), Timo De Groof (Contributor), Prashant Kadam (Contributor), Brenda R. Kwak (Contributor), Serge Muyldermans (Contributor), Nick Devoogdt (Contributor), Mathieu Vinken (Contributor) & Raf Van Campenhout (Contributor)
15 May 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
-
Imaging of Tumor-associated Macrophage Dynamics During Immunotherapy Using a CD163-specific Nanobody-based Immunotracer
Timo De Groof (Speaker)
11 Mar 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
-
The use of a CD163-specific nanobody-based immunotracer as an imaging agent to study tumor-associated macrophages.
Yoline Lauwers (Speaker), Timo De Groof (Contributor), Cecile Vincke (Contributor), Jolien Van Craenenbroeck (Contributor), Geert Raes (Contributor), Nick Devoogdt (Contributor) & Jo Van Ginderachter (Contributor)
18 Apr 2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
-
The use of a CD163-specific nanobody-based immunotracer as a clinical imaging agent to study immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages
Yoline Lauwers (Contributor), Timo De Groof (Contributor), Maral Emami (Contributor), Cecile Vincke (Speaker), Jolien Van Craenenbroeck (Contributor), Geert Raes (Contributor), Jo Van Ginderachter (Contributor) & Nick Devoogdt (Contributor)
11 Mar 2024 → 13 Mar 2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a workshop/seminar
Press/Media
-
VUB team develops breakthrough nanobody technology against liver inflammation
Raf Van Campenhout, Mathieu Vinken, Nick Devoogdt & Timo De Groof
8/12/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other
Thesis
-
Characterization of CD69-targeting nanobodies as immunotracers
Author: Ndini, T., Van Ginderachter, J., Devoogdt, N., Vincke, C. & De Groof, T., Sept 2021Student thesis: Master's Thesis
-
Development of a CD8-targeting immunotracer for non-invasive imaging of cytotoxic T-cells
Author: Aziz Ouazzani, W., Van Ginderachter, J., Devoogdt, N., Vincke, C. & De Groof, T., 2 Sept 2021Supervisor: Lauwers, Y. (Promotor)
Student thesis: Master's Thesis
-
Non-invasive imaging of CD8+ T cells using radiolabeled CD8-targeting nanobodies
Author: De Pauw, T., Devoogdt, N., Van Ginderachter, J. & De Groof, T., 2 Jul 2022Student thesis: Master's Thesis