Projects

The screening for colorectal cancer during a colonoscopy involves the detection of polyps and subsequently characterizing them in order to determine the required action. Based on the type of polyp, the endoscopist will decide whether to resect or not, whether histopathological analysis is needed or not and if future surveillance colonoscopies are needed. Due to the high polyp miss rate and difficult differentiation of polyp histology, an ...

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic and highly prevalent disorder with a high impact on quality of life. Despite treatment with acid suppressive therapy, a significant proportion of the patients (up to 40%) continues to have symptoms and are defined as refractory GERD (rGERD) patients. The general objective is to obtain more insight in the mechanisms behind symptom generation and symptom perception in rGERD patients. A first ...

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is characterized by a rapid deterioration of liver function and organ failure. This syndrome is a devastating clinical entity, associated with extremely low patient survival (28-day mortality rate 30-40%). A paralysis of the immune system and susceptibility to infections often precipitate this syndrome and there are currently no targeted strategies to combat these complications in ACLF patients. ...

Cirrhosis has multiple etiologies and initial triggers, however, a common feature during disease pathology is the development of hepatic inflammation and the development of fibrosis. Both resident liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) as well as infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages play a central role in initiation and maintenance of inflammation, as well as fibrogenesis through the activation of hepatic stellate cells. To exert these ...

Affecting almost 1% of the western population with an exponential escalation in westernizing countries, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have evolved into a global disease at the turn of the twenty-first century. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the opposite ends of the IBD spectrum, are characterized by chronic, idiopathic, progressive and relapsing inflammation of gastrointestinal tract. Owing to the complex interaction of the gut ...

Bariatric surgery is an effective way to treat obesity. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) reduces the gastric volume and bypasses parts of the small intestine so that malabsorption is induced whereasSleeve Gastrectomy (SG) only reduces the volume of the stomach without inducing malabsorption. Although bariatric surgery reduces overall cancer risk, evidence indicates that the risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) is increased and might depend on the ...

In addition to the provision of energy, our nutrient intake has wide-ranging effects on physiological processes. Signalling between the gut and the brain is crucial for regulation of hunger and satiety, but may also influence emotions. The mechanisms by which different types of nutrients affect our brain and emotions are incompletely understood. A better understanding of these mechanisms may have critical implications for several disorders in ...

Intestinal macrophages are essential components of the gastrointestinal tract and exhibit highly specific functions depending on their anatomical location within the gut. Lamina propria macrophages face the gut lumen and are involved in bacterial clearance, initiation of adaptive immunity and installing oral tolerance. In contract, macrophages residing in the muscularis externa regulate intestinal peristaltic activity through direct crosstalk ...

About 10- 20 % of individuals worldwide suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases in the western world. Characteristic symptoms vary from patient to patient but include chronic discomfort and abdominal pain associated with altered bowel habits in the absence of an organic cause. About 60% of IBS patients suffer from increased abdominal pain perception or visceral hypersensitivity ...

The human colon harbours a dense and complex bacterial community, referred to as microbiota, which exceeds 10-fold the number of host cells and plays a crucial role in human physiology. In a state of homeostatic interaction with the host, the microbiota fulfil important roles, such as the extraction of energy from undigested nutrients, the development and maintenance of the host immune system and the creation of resilience against ...