Projects
Identification, validation and pathogenicity of novel autoantibodies in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. KU Leuven
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) and myositis, commonly referred to as idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), are rare systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases characterized by muscle inflammation and skin fibrosis respectively, and internal organ involvement. SSc and myositis can also overlap and could thus be considered as part of a spectrum. Both diseases have a high mortality due to internal organ involvement and an association with malignancy. ...
Epigenetic analysis of stem cells as a quality control for a successful therapeutic product Ghent University
Aims of the Project
Aim 1: Methylome analysis to establish MultiStem Identity: identify genomic regions for which methylation status discriminates between MultiStem and MSC in a donor-independent fashion.
Aim 2: Identification of epigenetic marks to assess MultiStem quality: select a panel of genes of which methylation status is predictive for the biological function and safety of MultiStemn in order to determine the usability of ...
Study of cardiac atrial cells and paracrine mechanisms of myocardial regeneration Hasselt University
ENVIRONAGE Hasselt University
On epigenetics and how 'environmental' factors contribute to the long-term legacy of pediatric critical illness KU Leuven
Critically ill patients are patients who, due to a variety of triggering medical conditions, require vital organ support to avoid imminent death. Despite major progress in intensive care the patients still face a high mortality risk. Moreover, critical illness is hallmarked by features of accelerated aging where many patients experience an adverse legacy of the illness long after hospital discharge. This is mostly described for adults and ...
FWO travel credit for a long stay abroad at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) Barcelona Spain. Hasselt University
The Pathophysiology of Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease KU Leuven
Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease is characterized by recurrent cycles of infection and inflammation, leading to airway remodelling. Central to this doctoral thesis was the use of end-stage CF lungs in order to gain further insight into small airway disease and the inflammatory pattern eventually culminating in respiratory failure. Firstly, using high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and micro-CT, we demonstrated that small airway ...
Modeling Renal Fibrosis in Zebrafish Using Aristolochic Acid I KU Leuven
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health problem that is characterized by a slow and progressive loss of kidney function. The endpoint of virtually all progressive renal diseases is fibrosis, characterized histologically by an excessive accumulation and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) disrupting the normal histo-architecture of the organ.
The number of renal fibrosis patients doubled from 1990 to 2016 making it ...
The role of DOT1L in systemic sclerosis KU Leuven
Systemic sclerosis is a devastating connective tissue disease with high morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology is marked by autoimmunity, vascular changes and fibrosis of skin and internal organs. The complex interplay between various pathways in the pathogenesis is still incompletely understood. Two involved mechanisms are the activation of the canonical Wingless-type like (Wnt) signaling, and an imbalance in oxidative state leading to ...