Projects
Safer Autonomous Systems KU Leuven
Autonomous systems offer humankind tremendous opportunities, like freeing us from mundane tasks, carrying out risky procedures and generally giving us more time to enjoy the things we like doing. However, we lack trust in many forms of autonomous systems: partly this is human nature, but primarily because these systems, such as self-driving cars, have not demonstrated their safety credentials. Only by making these systems safer can we expect ...
Safer retroviral vectors for gene therapy: design, evaluation and validation KU Leuven
Viral vector-based gene therapy can effectively treat and potentially cure genetic disorders. However, the integration of the viral vector in the host-cell genome comes with adverse events, such as clonal expansion due to disregulation of gene expression. Stabile integration of the vector genome is catalysed by the vector-encoded integrase protein (IN). Integration of retroviruses and their derived vectors is not random. Our group identified ...
Structural and functional studies of ligand-activated insect ion channels for the development of safer insecticides KU Leuven
There is a great need to develop safer insecticides with greater selectivity for harmful pests like Myzus persicae, a polyphagous aphid species which destroys crops. Currently developed insecticides pose a great threat to pollinating insects and are beginning to have severe effects on agriculture and biodiversity. To address this concern, we require new classes of safer insecticides which are more selective for deleterious pests. In order to ...
Structural and functional characterisation of the Myzus persicae nicotinic acetylcholine receptors for the development of safer agricultural pesticides KU Leuven
Nicotinic receptors are ion channels that mediate excitatory neurotransmission. They are the primary target for neonicotinoids, which are a major class of insecticides used globally. However, their lack of selectivity between insects has resulted in the decline of pollinating bee species, which greatly impacts biodiversity and agriculture. This has prompted global bans on neonicotinoids use.
There is a great need to develop safer ...
Engineering, evaluation and validation of safer vectors for gene therapy KU Leuven
The strategic objective of the proposed project is the development of gamma retroviral vectors (prototype: moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV)) with a reduced chance of insertional mutagenesis.
Towards better and safer thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke. KU Leuven
Ischemic stroke is a devastating disease, representing one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Occlusion of a major or multiple smaller intracerebral arteries by blood thrombi leads to focal impairment or cessation of the downstream blood flow, resulting in irreversible damage of the associated brain tissue. The paramount medical relevance of ischemic stroke is in strong contrast to the limited treatment options. Indeed, ...
Analysis and prevention of protein particle formation – An approach towards safer antibody drugs in the clinic Ghent University
Monoclonal antibodies have revolutionized modern medicine. However, antibodies are delicate molecules that can aggregate to form potentially harmful particulates. Having been studied mostly empirically, the formation of proteinaceous particles remains a major obstacle for the development of safe therapeutic proteins. My project aims to address the phenomenon at different states between early drug development and in-hospital handling to allow ...
Validation of a small molecule system for a safer treatment of chronic inflammation Ghent University
We developed in-house an experimental glucocorticoid-based molecule. The small molecule we designed exhibits a unique mode of action consisting of validated anti-inflammatory effects combined with a much safer side effect profile in vivo, as established using rodent models. The aim of our proposal is to translate these well-defined pre-track findings to the relevant end-users in practice. For this we will study early ADMET results in dog ...