Projects
Development of new benzo[j]phenanthridine-7,12-diones as potential antimycobacterial compounds. University of Antwerp
Sputum smear negative TB: validity of complementary laboratory tests and effectiveness of alternative diagnostic strategies. Institute of Tropical Medicine
Study of the synthesis of mycobacterial ManLAM and its function in the interaction with phagocytes Ghent University
We have generated a large M. bovis BCG transposon insertion mutant library. BCG mutants will be characterized for their cell wall glycoprofile and they will also be used to study the role of Man(L)AM in determining host immune response upon Mycobacterium infection, using in vitro and in vivo techniques. The ultimate goal of this study is to translate the obtained knowledge in the development of new drugs and/or an improved tuberculosis ...
Buruli Ulcer: multidisciplinary research for improvement of control in Africa Institute of Tropical Medicine
Buruli ulcer (BU), a disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is a neglected disease of the poor in remote rural areas. BU is the third most common mycobacterial disease after tuberculosis and leprosy. It is most endemic in West Africa with incidences as high as 280 / 100,000, but cases occur around the globe. Currently, BU is treated by surgery - no anti-mycobacterial drug trials have been conducted. Surgery with wide margins resembles ...
Unravelling the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying B-cell dysfunction during Leishmania donovani infections. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Elucidating the mechanism of action of octahydrobenzo[j] phenanthridinediones as novel potent antimycobacterialcompounds. University of Antwerp
Improved infectious diseases research and surveillance in Ethiopia through capacity building in bioinformatics and sequencing. University of Antwerp
BAXERNA 2.0 : Immunopeptidomics-based Development of Next-Generation Bacterial mRNA Vaccines Vrije Universiteit Brussel
and innovative mRNA vaccine formulation. We will use our powerful new pipeline to develop novel mRNA vaccines against three
bacterial pathogens that can persist within phagocytic cells: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU), and
Acinetobacter baumannii (AB).
Development and evaluation of particulate formulations for the selective delivery of antigens and immunpotentiators towards dendritic cells. Ghent University
Developing effective vaccins against insidous pathogens such as HIV, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HCV represents a major challenge and is likely to require the induction of potent T cell mediated immune responses. In this project we aim to develop a particulate carrier allowing the selective delivery of both antigens and immunpotentiators to dendritic cells in order to promote the induction of potent T cell mediated immune responses.