Projects
Symptom patterns in irritable bowel syndrome KU Leuven
Who has never had them: symptoms in the abdominal region, such as pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhoea? These are common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS affects 5-10% of the population, especially females between the age of 16 and 40.
The good news is that IBS is a benign disorder: IBS does not increase the risk of cancer, and symptoms are not progressive. The bad news is that impact on quality of life is high due ...
Transcriptional and Functional Characterization of Enterochromaffin cells in Irritable Bowel Syndrome KU Leuven
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by altered bowel habits and severe abdominal pain, which is caused by sensory nerve fibre sensitization via soluble mediators released from neighbouring cells. Intriguingly, IBS patients develop symptoms upon food ingestion, even though sensory nerve endings do not reach the intestinal lumen. Therefore, the colorectal mucosa must host cells able to transduce chemical ...
Study on new treatment options for irritable bowel syndrome KU Leuven
Abdominal pain accompanied by a change in bowel habit, in the absence of an organic cause, is the main diagnostic criterion for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The condition has an estimated prevalence of up to 18% in the Western population and has a significant economic impact with up to 12% of IBS patients having to stop work completely. Remarkably, treatment of this disorder is rather disappointing and restricted to symptomatic treatment ...
Are mas-related gene receptors involved in irritable bowel syndrome? University of Antwerp
Development, diagnostic and prevention of gender-related Somatic and mental COmorbitiEs in iRritable bowel syndrome In Europe KU Leuven
Mental (anxiety and depression) and non-mental (fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome) comorbidities are highly prevalent in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with over 60 million Europeans affected, mostly women, by devastating manifestations, impaired treatment and quality of life. Estimated costs are €43 billion/year for IBS, mostly derived from comorbid IBS. Our hypothesis is that comorbid IBS represents a distinct clinical entity, ...
Research on new mechanisms underlying visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome KU Leuven
With a prevalence of 4-10%, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is currently one of the most frequently occurring gastrointestinal (GI) disorders worldwide. Effective treatment options for IBS patients are lacking, which is mainly attributed by a poor understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. In this project, I aim to further unravel the mechanisms that underly aberrant pain signaling and visceral hypersensitivity in IBS. ...
Development, diagnostic and prevention of gender-related Somatic and mental Comorbities in irritable bowel syndrome In Europe KU Leuven
Negative affective states, as a co-morbidity of IBS, significantly influence the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms and can predict the evolution of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Previous studies proposed that dysfunctional brain networks lead to both central (e.g., anxiety and depression) and peripheral (fibromyalgia and gut) symptoms. However, few imaging studies have been carried out and subsequently failed to support this assumption ...
Tryptophan metabolism and its impact on host-microbe crosstalk in irritable bowel syndrome Ghent University
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a widespread disorder for which no cure exists. Tryptophan may be an interesting amino acid to alleviate IBS symptoms, although a large inter-individual variability exists. This is caused by the limited knowledge on the complex host-microbe interactions involved in IBS and in tryptophan metabolism from both human and microbial side. In this project we aim to unravel the key factors for successful tryptophan ...
Identification of the mast cell-related immune mechanisms underlying the development of visceral pain in irritable bowel syndrome KU Leuven
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal discomfort and pain, associated with altered defecation, in the absence of an organic cause. The most consistent symptom of IBS is abdominal pain, resulting from visceral hypersensitivity (VHS), one of the hallmark features of IBS. In IBS patients, VHS has been shown to result from an abnormal activation of mast cells. Targeting the mechanisms ...