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Organisation

Comparative Perinatal Development (CoPeD)

Research Group

Lifecycle:1 Oct 2003 →  Today
Organisation profile:Research on non-rodent animal species i.c. the pig, can significantly contribute to the unraveling of the etiopathogenesis of certain human pathological conditions. In addition, research results will provide an insight into the equivalent veterinary disorders. Approximately 16% of the newborn piglets and ± 5% of the children suffer from intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR). In both species, IUGR is associated with an increased perinatal morbidity and mortality. Our research group aims to unravel the effect of IUGR and of feed compounds on the development of the gastrointestinal tract via in vivo and in vitro assays. Moreover, such a better understanding of the developmental changes within animal ((mini)pig and rodent, zebrafish) models, will assist in the interpretation of preclinical data. To support the risk assessment of drugs in children, preclinical studies in juvenile animals may be required. Knowledge on the ontogeny of drug transporters and metabolizing enzymes is important in understanding and predicting possible differences in drug exposure between youngsters and adults.
Keywords:GASTROINTESTINAL PHYSIOLOGY, DRUG TRANSPORT, GASTROINTESTINAL DEVELOPMENT, GALT-ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM-ENTEROCYTES, GASTROINTESTINAL MORPHOLOGY, PIGLET, ZEBRAFISH
Disciplines:Animal biology, Genetics, Morphological sciences, Veterinary medicine