Projects
Differential distribution and function of intrathymic and intrathymische regulatory T cells. KU Leuven
STATE OF THE ART
Regulatory T cells (Treg) are indispensable for the control of immune responses
against pathogens and the prevention of fatal autoimmunity. It is hypothesized that
the majority of Treg develop in the thymus by strong agonist recognition and the
acquisition of immunosuppressive features (intrathymic Treg, itTreg, also called
“natural Treg”). Under numerous experimental conditions Treg can also ...
Novel approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of upper gastrointestinal motility disorders KU Leuven
We will study the contribution of new diagnostic and therapeutic evolutions in the management of upper gastrointestinal motility disorders. The focus will be on esophageal and gastric motlility disorders, and on eosinophilic esophagitis. The novel diagnostic approaches are: 1) the use of the endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (Endoflip) to measure distensibility in the esophagus and the pylorus. 2) the use of confocal laser endoscopic ...
Dietary interventions for disorders of gut-brain interaction: FODMAPs and beyond FODMAPs KU Leuven
Two of the most common disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) are functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), affecting 15% of the population worldwide. A diet with established efficacy in IBS is the low Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Monosaccharides and Polyols (FODMAP) diet. During my PhD, a blinded reintroduction phase identified individual FODMAP triggers and the efficacy of the diet in FD showed promising results. The diet ...
Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE) in childhood: analysis of remission rates and Quality of Life in children from UZ Leuven treated according to Ped-EoE guidelines 2020. KU Leuven
Description
Eosinofilic oesoghagitis (EoE) is a chronic disorder of the oesophagus that probably requires life-long treatment. The number of children with EoE is constantly increasing. Treatment in first-line is frequently proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) but if failing, according to recent guidelines, local treatment with steroids or treatment with diet are equally positioned. This diet can, if the effect is insuffiient, increase to the ...
PeRsOnalized nutriTion for hEalthy livINg. KU Leuven
Proper nutrition is essential for good health, well-being and the prevention, mitigation or treatment of a number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Food is not only a source of calories, but also a complex mixture of dietary chemicals, some of which are directly related to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, allergies and some types of cancer. Foods, diet and nutritional status, including overweight and obesity, are also associated with ...
DNA adductomics to study exposomic drivers of disease Ghent University
DNA adducts provide information on the exposure and biological effects of chemical hazards. Hence, the birth of DNA adductomics has not gone unnoticed in the era of exposomics, in which the aim is to study the whole of environmental exposures and biological consequences thereof. This project will apply DNA adductomics in large-scale exposomics for the very first time, to further unravel the determinants of food allergy and esophageal cancer. ...