Projects
Optogenetic analysis of circuitry formation in the enteric nervous system in health and in a model of gastrointestinal dysmotility. KU Leuven
Digestive function relies on the orchestrated activity of the enteric nervous system, a precisely wired network of neurons and their support cells embedded in the wall of the gut. The enteric nervous system is vital for coordinating the muscle contractions that control the mixing and propulsion of food in the gut, and is able to do this without input from the brain. In order to do this, enteric neurons must be meticulously wired together in a ...
The development of cell-cell communication and neural circuits in the enteric nervous system. KU Leuven
The development of the nervous system is vital to establishing a functioning organism. The enteric nervous system controls the function of the gastrointestinal tract, and is crucial for controlling the movement of food through the small and large intestines. Errors in the development of the enteric nervous system could be the underlying cause of many gastrointestinal disorders, particularly paediatric motility disorders, where children have ...
Live imaging of neurons and mitochondria in the human enteric nervous system to assess Parkinson’s disease related neurodegeneration KU Leuven
Neurodegenerative disorders, have a large impact on social and economic level; they affect quality of life to a large extent and create high financial burden for patients. Until now the only diagnosis for most of the neurodegenerative diseases is based on clinical symptoms, which occur when the disease is already advanced. Thus, available therapy for neurodegenerative disorders is unfortunately purely symptomatic. Therefore apart from ...
Neuronal differentiation during the development of the Enteric nervous system. KU Leuven
The development of the nervous system is vital to establishing a functioning organism. The enteric nervous system controls the function of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, its motility. Errors in the development of the enteric nervous system could be the underlying cause of many gastrointestinal disorders, including paediatric motility disorders, where children have functional defects in the control of their gastrointestinal tract. ...
Pharmacological and electrical stimulation of the enteric nervous system as a new therapeutic approach for postoperative ileus. KU Leuven
Each abdominal surgical intervention leads to impaired motility of the entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract lasting several days with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, intolerance to food and absence of defecation, which is referred to as postoperative ileus (POI). This condition is a major source of patient morbidity and prolonged hospital stay and represents a significant economic burden to health care systems.
Previous research has ...
Dissecting and interfering with the molecular pathways involved in the crosstalk between the enteric nervous system and immune cells. KU Leuven
One of the main tasks of the immune system is to appropriately react to “danger” or “non-danger” signals. This is even more relevant in the intestine, where immune cells are constantly presented with foreign substances as food. Hence, the balance between immune activation versus tolerance should be tightly regulated to maintain intestinal homoeostasis and to prevent indiscriminate immune activation against the gut content. Loss of this ...
The role of Nav1.9 in the enteric nervous system Ghent University
The voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel subtype 1.9 (gene name SCN11a) is expressed in neural pathways and it has been shown its major contribution in pain and itch: patients with a Nav1.9 p.L811P mutation consistently report debilitating sensory perception disorders not associated with skin conditions or inflammation. These patients also frequently report gastrointestinal (GI) distortions and discomfort that frequently culminates in multiple ...