Projects
In-depth comparison and feasibility assessment of an integrated pipeline for neoantigen identification and HLA ligandome sequencing in a clinical setting Ghent University
Each year 4500 individuals are diagnosed with lung cancer in Flanders alone. Five years later, 85% of these individuals will have died despite intensive treatment. Moreover, current treatments are either highly toxic or susceptible to rapid development of resistance. Recently however, a new therapy was discovered: immune checkpoint blockers (ICB), which prevent the downregulation of the natural immune activity towards cancer cells. Despite ...
Sabbatical Kurt Willems: rollout ELA (European Education law Association) KU Leuven
On the one hand, the sabbatical period serves to complete the educational law manual and three already prepared projects (freedom of expression for teachers, restrictions on access to higher education, European Universities from a legal point of view) into an article.
On the other hand, during the last education law conference in Budapest, it was decided to incorporate the de facto association ELA (European Education Law association) ...
Linear antenna microwave chemical vapour deposition (LA MW CVD) apparatus Hasselt University
What the eyes don't see, the mind won't learn: Investigating the role of salience in the initial processing of morphology in SLA Vrije Universiteit Brussel
to play a crucial role in the process of second language acquisition
(SLA) but little is known about their exact nature and role. Many
factors have been proposed to influence a learner’s attention to and
awareness of new linguistic forms in a second language (L2), some
of which are learner- or context-based and some of which are
inherent to ...
HPA axis in critical illness: cause and consequence of altered cortisol metabolism KU Leuven
The hormone cortisol is an essential component of the response to stress to provide energy, reduce inflammation and ensure hemodynamic stability. Increased production and release of cortisol is normally driven by an activated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, our research group recently demonstrated low plasma ACTH concentrations and high plasma cortisol concentrations during critical illness. This is known as the ...
Evolve HNA aptamers by Cell-SELEX as molecular tools for cancer study. KU Leuven
Aptamers are single-stranded DNA and RNA molecules. They can bind to diverse molecular targets with high affinity and specificity by folding unique three dimensional structures. Therefore, aptamers are useful tools for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. However, aptamers made of DNA and RNA are endowed with low biostability and poor pharmacodynamices, limiting their use for clinical development. In this study, we propose to develop a ...
Mutated neo-antigens in hepatocellular carcinoma KU Leuven
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and immunotherapeutic interventions may help at improving therapeutic outcome in HCC patients. Identification and immunological validation of mutated neo-antigens specific to HCC is essential to subsequently develop new immunotherapeutic strategies. The primary aim of the project is the identification and immunological validation of mutated neo-antigens ...
Regulation and significance of natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity in renal allograft rejection. KU Leuven
Despite the development of potent immunosuppressive therapy, rejection remains the most frequent cause of premature graft loss after kidney transplantation, highlighting the need to better understand the underlying mechanisms. The current paradigm of kidney transplant rejection distinguishes between T-cell mediated rejection (TCMR), referring to tubulointerstitial inflammation caused by alloreactive T lymphocytes, and antibody-mediated ...
Ankylosing spondylitis and HLA-B27: effect of cell stress on inflammation and ankylosis. KU Leuven
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), formerly known as Bechterew’s disease, is a chronic inflammatory joint disease typically affecting the spine in young adults and leading to severe pain and disability. The HLA-B27 gene is the most important genetic risk factor for AS. Rats with overexpression of HLA-B27 develop arthritis in a way very similar to the human disease. HLA genes are associated with the immune response but decades of research have ...