Projects
Cholinergic modulation of the mucosal immune system. KU Leuven
Interaction of Escherichia coli fimbriae with carbohydrate receptors of porcine enterocytes and the fimbriae-specific mucosal immune response Ghent University
Piglets are very susceptible to infection with pathogenic EScherichia coli strains that adhere with their fimbriae to small intestinal enterocytes, colonise the intestine and cause diarrhoea by toxin secretion. The aim of this project is to identify fimbrial receptors and to analyse the interaction of these pathogens with the mucosal immune system of the host.
Unraveling the adaptive role of amphibian antimicrobial peptides in the immune system and antipredator defense. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The duodenal microbiome in health and disease: composition and dynamics in relation to the bile salt pool, mucosal physiology and therapy in functional and inflammatory disorders of the duodenum. KU Leuven
FD is a common disorder with unknown pathophysiology, hampering a conclusive diagnosis and development of effective drugs. In this PhD-project, we studied duodenal and systemic factors in FD. We focused on the duodenal lumen and mucosa, as luminal changes have been proposed to initiate or maintain mucosal alterations. We also separated the duodenal luminal and mucosa-associated microbiota composition. Effects of first-line therapy or PPI were ...
Cystic fibrosis as a modulable model for mucosal and systemic immunity in airway disease. Ghent University
The pathophysiology of inflammatory airway diseases and their exacerbations is determined by a continuous interplay of local and systemic immunity, and micro-organisms residing in the airways. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene encodes for an ion channel involved in the pathogenesis of many chronic airway diseases. In cystic fibrosis (CF), an autosomal recessive trait in CFTR leads to thick and sticky mucus, a ...
The role of impaired mucosal integrity in the pathogenesis of postinflammatory gastrointestinal motor dysfunction. KU Leuven
The vagus nerve as modulator of intestinal immune homeostasis. KU Leuven
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract constitutes the largest mucosal surface that is continually exposed to a wide range of antigens and potential immune stimuli including various dietary antigens and commensal bacteria. For this reason, the intestinal mucosal tissue contains the largest number of immune cells participating to an elaborate network of cells and effector molecules to defend the host from the external milieu. In order to maintain ...