Projects
Advanced nanomaterials for photothermal therapy in 3D cell models KU Leuven
Despite significant advances in cancer therapy, cancer remains a major cause of death worldwide. In the last years, there has been increasing interest in the development of new treatment modalities with reduced side effects for difficult-to-cure cancers. One of the most promising examples is photothermal therapy (PTT), designed to selectively kill cancerous tissue through localized, light-induced thermal stress. The efficiency of this thermal ...
Advanced Nanomaterials for Cancer Phototherapies in 3D Cell Models KU Leuven
Despite significant advances in cancer therapy, cancer remains a major cause of death worldwide. In the last years, there has been increasing interest in the development of new treatment modalities with reduced side effects for difficult-to-cure cancers. Prominent examples are photothermal (PTT) and photodynamic (PDT) therapy, designed to selectively kill cancerous tissue either through localized, light-induced thermal stress or generation of ...
Interventional X-ray system equipped with 3D rotational angiography for cardiovascular research in preclinical large animal models. KU Leuven
Current strategies for early treatment of acute coronary
syndromes (i.e. heart attacks) have improved acute survival
but subsequent heart failure and arrhythmias (sudden
cardiac death) are the long-term cause of mortality and
morbidity. Responsible use of large animals as preclinical
translational models remains a cornerstone in
cardiovascular research
and play an irrefutable role in exploratory and ...
Three-dimensional (3-D) analysis of hard and soft tissue changes in patients after orthognatic surgery KU Leuven
Orthognathic surgery is considered to be a cornerstone for surgically treating dentofacial deformities. It is associated with unwanted relapse over time. The evidence related to hierarchy of orthognathic surgery stability has been mostly based on 2D methodologies and lack of true 3D-based prospective evidence exists. This doctoral thesis aimed to assess the 3D skeletal and pharyngeal airway space relapse following orthognathic surgery and to ...
Virtual Fruit tissue Generation Based on Cell Growth Modeling KU Leuven
Stimulation of muscle hypertrophy: exercising tissue engineered human skeletal muscle. KU Leuven
Creation of 3D skeletal muscle was originally described with chicken cells by prof. H. Vandenburgh . Prof. L. Thorrez co-developed this technology for human muscle and applications included ex vivo gene therapy and drug screening. These bio-artificial muscles (BAMs) are composed of aligned myofibers with dimensions of 2 cm long and 1 mm thick. Prof. L. Thorrez established the Tissue Engineering Lab at KULeuven Kulak where technologies and ...
Vascularized organ-on-a-chip: biofabrication of iPSC-derived vascularized tissue analogs KU Leuven
Over the past two decades, the drug approval rate has considerably delayed while post-marketing drug failure became increasingly prominent creating a ‘drying pipeline’ in drug development. This is largely attributed to the limited predictive value of 2D in vitro and animal models. Therefore, higher levels of physiological relevance are pursued through the development of organ-on-a-chip (OOC) models that recapitulate functional units of ...
Nanocomposite hydrogels for tissue engineering KU Leuven
3D tissue- or organ-on-a-chip systems are nowadays investigated as potentially more effective and physiologically relevant alternative models to animal testing in applications such as drug screening, disease, and toxicology research. Although significant progress has been made to biofabricate 3D biomimetic tissue analogs, complex structural features of tissues and vascular network integration are difficult to achieve. Conjugation of optical ...
Prometheus: Division of skeletal tissue engineering KU Leuven
Prometheus, is an interdisciplinary, translational, research platform focusing on skeletal tissue engineering and technology transfer. Members include the Divisions of Rheumatology, Orthopaedics, Biomechanics, Experimental Medicine and Endocrinology, Prosthetic Dentistry, Bioresponses (Bioscience Engineering), the Department of Materials Engineering (KU Leuven), and the Division of Biomechanics (University of Liège). Consisting of 50+ PhD ...