Name Responsible Activity Immunology "Didier Ebo" "The overarching basic research of our research unit fits in the faculty spearhead of inflammation and focusses on the activating and inhibitory mechanisms that govern basophil and mast cell degranulation, as witnessed by our 2 Senior Researcher Fellowships (FWO). Using functional flowcytometry we study how basophils and cultured human mast cells react upon various secretagogues and how this activation can be influenced. These studies are mainly performed in various allergies (medicines, food), mastocytosis and rheumatoid arthritis. With respect to the underlying pathomechanisms of food allergy we have an ongoing study in peanut allergy that is executed by an aspirant of FWO. Translational and clinical research is more discipline specific with different interfaces. Allergology and pediatric allergology studies mainly focus on the optimization of in vitro and in vivo diagnostics for complex allergies and exploration of the effects of allergen specific immunotherapy. Our main subjects of interest are allergies for drugs, food and cannabis sativa (IWT, DOCPRO, Horizon 2020). In these studies there is a close collaboration with dermatology. With respect to auto-inflammatory conditions we have a stufy on FMF (IWT). Reasearch in rheumatology focusses on the effect of biologicals on various immunocompetent cells. Both our fundamental and translational/clinical research can be considered as ""niche"" research quite unique in Belgium and is highly appreciated internationally." "Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group" "Dominique Bullens" "1. Allergy Clinical research, cohort based, on drug hypersensitivity Food allergy: clinical driven research into hidden allergens, co-factor enhanced food allergy, rare allergens (allergy to carmine, eatable insect allergens, WDEIA quality of life study etc…) Mastocytosis and hymenoptera venom allergy and treatment: clinical prospective follow-up over 30 years of a large database of patients with hymentoptera venom allergy – coincidence of mastocytosis – role of c-kit determination in peripheral blood in adults Children: (cutaneous vs systemic) mastocytosis: role of c-kit determination in peripheral blood; longitudinal study Role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in chronic intestinal inflammation and intestinal fibrosis (ongoing): intended to broaden ILC research to allergic diseases (food allergy, eosinophilic oesophagitis)2. Tolerance induction Tolerance induction towards allergens: development of both natural (longitudinal studies) and immunotherapy-induced tolerance: study of the role of regulatory T cells and adaptive immunity in environmental and food allergy3. Upper and lower airway hyper-reactivity Study of the impact on epithelial barrier dysfunction on chronic airway inflammation, including interaction with environment, microbiome and therapeutic targets) Study of neuro-immune mechanisms underlying chronic airway inflammation Lower airway inflammation (in close collaboration with lab of pneumology):- in house murine models of allergic asthma- development of new mouse models for non-allergic asthma- role of innate immunity (and ILCs) vs adaptive immunity in those models Translational research in patients with upper and/or lower airway inflammation: immune cells and cytokines recruited/expressed in upper and lower airway tissue: cross-sectional studies and studies after experimental provocation (allergen, exercise, cold air,...) " "Cellular and Molecular Immunology" "Jo Van Ginderachter" "The research unit CIMM, founded by Patrick De Baetselier in 1983, initially focused on cellular immunology, mainly in the context of tumour biology. The basic themes were the analysis of immune escape mechanisms as well as the mechanisms involved in the invasive and metastatic behaviour of cancer cells. Since several common points may exist in the ways either cancer cells or parasites evade immune surveillance, cellular interactions involved in parasite immunology became a second focus of interest. Keeping up with the advances in molecular biology, the cellular work has now been broadened to include the molecular-genetic analysis of both tumour-host and parasite-host interactions. At present, this unit focuses on three major research programmes: 1. Immunobiology of cancer metastasis, with a focus on Tumour Immunity, both from a fundamental point of view and in the context of the eventual development of improved cancer immunotherapies, with further focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in Invasion and Metastasis. 2. Immunoparasitology, with Parasite Control being the major issue. This subgroup is studying on one hand the interactions between parasites and host factors, and on the other hand the mechanisms of parasite-induced immune suppression 3. Vaccine Technology, which is a recent field of research within our group, that builds upon a newly developed adjuvant-carrier system based on a Pseudomonas lipoprotein (see below). The value and potential of this system for us in vaccine design is being assessed in different pathological situations, from parasitic, viral and bacterial infections to cancer." "Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation" "Katrien Lagrou" "The Department of Microbiology and Immunology focuses on the study, prevention and treatment of important diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, the study of the complex host-microbiome interaction, and the study of the host immune system in infections, cancer, kidney diseases, autoimmunity, allergy and organ transplantationFor more information about the research topics of the different research teams belonging to this department see: - Division for Virology and Chemotherapy - Division for Bacteriology - Division for Clinical and Epidemiological Microbiology - Division for Immunobiology - Division for Molecular Immunology" Immunology "The research group Immunology (IMMU) groups the teaching on Immunology, Hematology and Microbiology of the faculty of Medicine.Most of the teaching staffmembers also have appointments in clinical departements of the university hospital. IMMU harbours several research groups clustered around two main topics: A/ Biology and treatment of haematological diseases. This activity is spread over the departments of Clinical Haematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Clinical Laboratory of Haematology and Immunology, Blood Transfusion Centre Jette and the basic research laboratory at the faculty. Following specific subjects are under study: 1. Biology of multiple myeloma and related diseases; 2. Molecular and phenotypic follow-up of B cell malignancies during therapy; 3. Stem cell processing for clinical transplantation; 4. Analysis of phenotype of haemopoietic stem cells in health and disease; 5. Homing of mesenchymal stem cell in bone marrow 5. MHC dysregulation in haematological malignancies; 6. Molecular analysis of antithrombine deficiency. B/ Diagnosis, epidemiology and treatment of infectious diseases. This activity is located in the Clinical Laboratory for Microbiology of the AZ-VUB, that includes bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, virology and serology, as well as the AIDS reference laboratory and the center for molecular diagnosis. Following specific subjects are under study: 1. Study of Verocytotoxin-producing E.coli infections. 2. Study of Ureaplasma urealyticum infections. 3. Study of congenital toxoplasmosis. 4. New molecular techniques for diagnosis of infectious diseases. 5. Antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogens (among others anaerobic bacteria, HIV,...) 6. Surveillance of nosocomial infections. 7. Epidemiological typing of infectious agents. 8. Reference activity for the program 'Sentinel laboratories' of the service of epidemiology of the Scientific Institute of Public Health: B. pertussis, Legionella pneumophila, Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli and C. diphteriae." "Immunology and Microbiology" "The faculty departement Immunology and Microbiology (IMMI) groups the teaching on Immunology, Hematology and Microbiology of the faculty of Medicine.Most of the teaching staffmembers also have appointments in clinical departements of the university hospital (see AZ VUB). IMMI harbours several research groups clustered around two main topics: A/ Biology and treatment of haematological diseases. This activity is spread over the departments of Clinical Haematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Clinical Laboratory of Haematology and Immunology, Blood Transfusion Centre Jette and the basic research laboratory at the faculty. Following specific subjects are under study: 1. Biology of multiple myeloma and related diseases; 2. Molecular and phenotypic follow-up of B cell malignancies during therapy; 3. Stem cell processing for clinical transplantation; 4. Analysis of phenotype of haemopoietic stem cells in health and disease; 5. Homing of mesenchymal stem cell in bone marrow 5. MHC dysregulation in haematological malignancies; 6. Molecular analysis of antithrombine deficiency. B/ Diagnosis, epidemiology and treatment of infectious diseases. This activity is located in the Clinical Laboratory for Microbiology of the AZ-VUB, that includes bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, virology and serology, as well as the AIDS reference laboratory and the center for molecular diagnosis. Following specific subjects are under study: 1. Study of Verocytotoxin-producing E.coli infections. 2. Study of Ureaplasma urealyticum infections. 3. Study of congenital toxoplasmosis. 4. New molecular techniques for diagnosis of infectious diseases. 5. Antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogens (among others anaerobic bacteria, HIV,...) 6. Surveillance of nosocomial infections. 7. Epidemiological typing of infectious agents. 8. Reference activity for the program 'Sentinel laboratories' of the service of epidemiology of the Scientific Institute of Public Health: B. pertussis, Legionella pneumophila, Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli and C. diphteriae." "Immunology & Infection" "Jerome HENDRIKS" "Within the capacity group immunology and infection we study the molecular and cellular pathways underlying the pathology of diseases involving the immune system such as multiple sclerosis, reumatoid arthritis and spinal cord injury. We apply the 'from bench to bedside' principle in which clinically relevent questions are addressed in cell culture models and are validated in animal models and patients. With our research we aim to improve the diagnosis, therapy or treatment of these diseases." "Microbiology and Immunology, Kulak Kortrijk Campus" "Simon De Meyer" "Microbiology and Immunology, Kulak Campus Kortrijk focuses on the study, prevention and treatment of important diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, the study of the complex host-microbiome interaction, and the study of the host immune system in infections, cancer, kidney diseases, autoimmunity, allergy and organ transplantation." "Laboratory for Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy" "An Coosemans" "In June 2016, the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy was founded at KU Leuven. In 2019 Prof An Coosemans, MD PhD, was appointed as the head of the lab. Currently, the lab counts one post-doc, four PhD students, one biostatistician and two lab technicians. The research philosophy of the lab is highly translational. By unraveling the immune biology in patients at diagnosis and during therapy/clinical trials (immune profiling), we can develop more rational based immunotherapy approaches (in mouse models). Immunotherapeutic approaches arise from academic and industry collaborations. Our preclinical findings have already been and will be the basis for well-established clinical trials in the future.  The focus is mainly on ovarian cancer, glioblastoma and uterine sarcoma.  Follow our research on:www.facebook.com/LTIILeuvenwww.LTII.be" "Reproductive immunology and implantation" "Hilde Van De Velde" "The Research Group Reproductive Immunology and Implantation aims to study different aspects of implantation of a human embryo and, more specifically, the interaction between the endometrium and the embryo which leads to a successful implantation in natural and stimulated cycles for IVF."