Projects
Tricking tumor immunosuppression: RNA epigenetics as novel target to improve cancer immunotherapy Vrije Universiteit Brussel
the patients are not responsive and several cancer types are refractory to this therapy. The presence of a
strongly immune suppressive environment within primary tumors and at the metastatic site is a likely explanation for the suboptimal efficacy of immunotherapy, with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and
...
Tricking tumor immunosuppression: RNA epigenetics as novel target to improve cancer immunotherapy KU Leuven
Immunotherapy is considered as a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer, but still a large fraction of
the patients are not responsive and several cancer types are refractory to this therapy. The presence of a
strongly immune suppressive environment within primary tumors and at the metastatic site is a likely explanation for the suboptimal efficacy of immunotherapy, with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and ...
DiSsecting fetal genetiC and epigenetic changes After in utero exposure to chemotheRapy (SCAR). KU Leuven
Cancer complicates 1 in 1000 pregnancies representing an important health challenge that affects both mother and child. In a series of breakthrough clinical studies, the hosting lab has shown that chemotherapy given during pregnancy is relatively safe for the infants in the short term. However, children born after in utero exposure to chemotherapy are often small for their gestation age, present with lower IQ scores and have higher risk to ...
Is inbreeding and inbreeding depression associated with epigenetic regulation? – a case study using Daphnia as a model KU Leuven
Inbreeding results when related individuals mate. This may, for instance, occur when populations have become small, often the case for (locally) threatened species. Inbreeding is often associated with a lowered fitness (inbreeding depression; Bijlsma et al. 2000; Hedrick & Kalinowski 2000) and its occurrence has therefore important evolutionary implications. Recent work on plants has revealed that inbred lineages often show increased ...
Characterization of coding and non-coding RNA transcripts and of epigenetic markers in obesity. KU Leuven
This project investigates the role and the properties of coding and non-coding RNA transcripts and also of epigenetic markers in obesity and their role in the weight loss induced by gastric bypass surgery.
Muscle epigenetics and long-term physical outcome after critical illness KU Leuven
Critically ill patients require vital organ support to avoid imminent death. Among other complications, they are at high risk of developing muscle weakness, associated with delayed weaning from mechanical ventilation, prolonged or incomplete rehabilitation and even death. Survival improved with advances in intensive care. However, a substantial proportion of the patients continue to experience adverse consequences long after hospital ...
Combining transcriptomics, epigenetics and in vivo CRISPR screens to unravel the cell-cell communication within the steady-state liver module (deLiver-CRISPR) Ghent University
The liver is mainly constituted of hepatocytes, sinusoidal endothelial cells, stellate cells and macrophages called Kupffer cells (KCs). Together, these 4 cells represent 90% of all liver cells. Tissue-resident macrophages were long considered to only play a role in immune defense, but it is now clear that macrophages are essential for tissue homeostasis. Transcriptomic profiling has revealed that each tissue-resident macrophage expresses a ...
BOOSting excellence in environmental EPIgenetics Ghent University
The EPIBOOST project joins a widening partner and two internationally-leading partners that will steer a solid capacitation strategy towards tackling the challenges to the recently proposed uptake of epigenomics by Environmental Assessment frameworks. Capacitation activities cover for 5 specific objectives. The 1st is to optimize research protocols, enhancing the practical skills and research profile of the Widening partner for the ...
Epic Proteomics: an MS-based workflow for parallel profiling of histone epigenetics and protein expression. Ghent University
By using novel approaches in instrumentation and the novel data analysis strategies that these innovations have enabled, I aim to link our current map of the histone code to changes in the proteome for the first time, delivering a powerful tool for novel fundamental discovery as well as translational research.