Projects
Further confirmation of the therapeutic potential of Toll Like Receptor 9 (TLR9) antagonists on type 2 airway Inflammation: allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) KU Leuven
Identification of the Molecular Mechanisms of non-response to Treatments, Relapses and Remission in Autoimmune, Inflammatory, and Allergic Conditions KU Leuven
3TR is a transdisciplinary consortium made of experts in all areas of medicine, basic sciences and bioinformatics from academic institutions, SMEs, and 8 major pharmaceutical companies, teamed to study a fundamental issue in medicine: the mechanisms of response and non-response to therapies, the major aim of 3TR, both within single disease entities and across diseases, where molecular stratification may identify shared disease taxonomies. The ...
Characterization of allergen-specific T and B cells associated with tolerance induction in food allergic children KU Leuven
Tolerance induction in IgE mediated food allergy is a dynamic process, involving the development and activation of T and B cells with regulatory function. Heating of food allergenic proteins might reduce their allergenicity and induce a tolerizing process in food allergic children. In particular in children with IgE mediated cow's milk allergy, we hypothezise that in vitro activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with cow's ...
GM-CSF as crucial rheostat of the allergic airways Ghent University
Asthma is a heterogeneous respiratory disease in which many immune and structural lung cells act in concert to amplify local inflammatory processes and cause airway remodeling resulting in clinical symptoms and chronic disease. Upon allergen-induced activation of airway epithelial (EP) cells, there is early production of IL-1α that subsequently acts on the IL-1R in an autocrine manner to boost further production of cytokines like GM-CSF, ...
The role of resident memory T cells in allergic asthma Ghent University
Allergic asthma is a severe respiratory syndrome affecting at least 300 million people worldwide. The syndrome arises after an erratic response of the immune system after inhalation of various allergens including pollen, spores, dust mites and animal dander. Whilst current treatments manage asthma symptoms, they are not a cure. Despite an urgent need to redefine clinical management of asthma, the base mechanistic science of the syndrome is ...
Unraveling the dialog between airway basal cells and immunity in health and allergic rhinitis KU Leuven
The general aim of this project is to better understand the role of the airway basal cells in health and chronic upper airway diseases such as allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We suspect that intrinsic changes in basal cells of patients compared to healthy individuals are responsible for the conservation of the diseased epithelium and play a pivotal role its emergence. Therefore, we want to study how allergens ...
Modulation of allergic sensitisation and inflammation by natural and induced regulatory T cells. KU Leuven
Keratinocyte/dendritic cell interactions in the skin determines allergic sensitization and the severity of asthma to house dust mite allergen Ghent University
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that is seen increasingly in westernalized countries. Studies have shown that a majority of patients with asthma have suffered from atopic dermatitis (AD) in their childhood. Moreover, patients with AD develop more severe steroid-resistant forms of asthma. The mechanisms involved in the progression from AD to asthma are currently unknown. Several reports argue that this might mainly due ...
Protease dependent regulation of IL-33 activity in allergic airway inflammation Ghent University
The prevalence of allergies has risen over the last decades. It is evident that the host immune
system and airway mucosal response determine the development of sensitivity or tolerance to
inhaled allergens.
The status of airway mucosa could predetermine the development of severe airway diseases,
including severe asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Current therapies are often
not helpful in ...