Projects
Modulation of cardiac myocyte structure and function by different types of fibroblastic cells. KU Leuven
Osteoglycin: A master regulator of cardiac inflammation, fibrosis and function. KU Leuven
Heart failure, the leading cause of mortality in Western society, is the inability of the heart to supply enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Matricellular proteins, nonstructural extracellular proteins, are crucial in regulating the structural and molecular changes needed for survival. Osteoglycin is a recently identified matricellular protein. Our group obtained preliminary data that suggest Osteoglycin may influence cardiac fibrosis, ...
Principles of regulation in P-type ion pumps. Implications for cardiac function. KU Leuven
Tissue and cell specific distribution of 5-HT4 receptor splice variants and functional implication for gastrointestinal and cardiac effects of 5-HT4 receptor agonists Ghent University
The tissue and cell specific distribution of 5-HT4 receptor splice varianten wordt onderzocht in de gastro-intestinale tractus en het hart door het merken van bepaalde celtypes met antilichamen en RT-PCT voor de splice varianten op het geëxtraheerde RNA. De functionele weerslag wordt onderzocht door het effect en transductiemechanisme van verschillende 5-HT4 receptor agonisten te vergelijken in gastro-itnestinale en cardiale ...
Non-invasive assessment of functional, cellular and molecular mechanisms linking inflammation and cardiac remodeling after acute myocardial injury. KU Leuven
Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of death. The metabolic, functional, cellular and structural changes after acute myocardial injury, also termed cardiac remodeling, determine residual cardiac function, development of heart failure, and survival. Acute/chronic inflammation and reperfusion not only contribute to infarct healing but paradoxically also cause aggravation of the injury. Type, extent and timing of post injury events will ...
Development of a functional assay to determine the pathogenicity of genetic variants with unknown significance identified in patients with cardiac arrhythmia. University of Antwerp
Development of a functional assay to determine the pathogenicity of genetic variants with unknown significance identified in patients with cardiac arrhythmia. University of Antwerp
Loss of cardiac resident macrophage self-renewal as a trigger for Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction. KU Leuven
Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) is a pathology with few current therapeutic options that are further diminished as HFpEF is mostly diagnosed at a late stage. At a cellular level, vascular dysfunction, fibrosis, and an increased inflammatory response are known HFpEF characteristics, but no consensus has been researched concerning underlying mechanisms. The cardioprotective function of resident cardiac macrophages is an ...
Differential expression and secretion of microRNAs by specific cardiac fibroblast phenotypes KU Leuven
The heart is composed of many cells types, out of which cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts form the majority. Cardiac myocytes are the muscle cells, which are responsible for the rhythmic beating of the heart. Fibroblasts produce proteins which maintain the architecture of the heart. However, after heart attack whereby muscle cells are lost (infarction), fibroblasts modify themselves to become myofibroblasts. These cells produce collagen that ...