Projects
Improving monitoring of cardiac function in critical illness: from advanced echocardiographic technology to metabolic and biochemical biomarkers predicting myocardial dysfunction. KU Leuven
Chapter 1: Validation of a deep neural network which integrates segmentation and as well as deformation imaging analysis in a large image database of echocardiograms. The objective of this chapter is to optimize deep learning techniques through study of a modified neural network, currently in development by the team of Jan D’hooge. This modified neural network will integrate local morphology of the myocardium derived from automated ...
Disturbed energy metabolism in critical illness: role in organ failure and mortality, underlying mechanisms, and therapeutic perspectives. KU Leuven
The central aim of this research project is to thoroughly characterize the mitochondrial abnormalities during critical illness, with elucidation of a number of detrimental or protective mechanisms embedded in the ultimate goal of improving patient care and outcome. The results are anticipated to be of multidisciplinary importance, of interest not only to critical illness but also diabetes and every field of medicine with an organ-specific ...
HPA axis in critical illness: cause and consequence of altered cortisol metabolism KU Leuven
The hormone cortisol is an essential component of the response to stress to provide energy, reduce inflammation and ensure hemodynamic stability. Increased production and release of cortisol is normally driven by an activated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, our research group recently demonstrated low plasma ACTH concentrations and high plasma cortisol concentrations during critical illness. This is known as the ...
Medical risks and developmental deficit 4 years after pediatric critical illness: role of exposure to plastic softeners released from indwelling medical devices (MeDIPlasticS). University of Antwerp
Nutrient restriction during Critical illness: from induction of Autophagy to Repression of aberrant Epigenetic alterations. KU Leuven
Modern intensive care medicine enables survival from previously lethal conditions. Risk of death is mostly attributable to lack of recovery from organ failure. Although intensive care has been practiced for over 6 decades, the understanding of why certain patients recover and others don’t remains very limited. Furthermore, organs and tissues from patients who do not swiftly recover, do not show overt signs of cell death but instead accumulate ...
Defective autophagy and multiple organ failure during critical illness: a novel life-saving therapy KU Leuven
Prolonged critically ill patients nowadays still face a high risk of death, which is most often due to multiple organ failure. Several studies, including from our group, point to mitochondrial damage as an important pathway in the development of multiple organ failure and the lack of recovery hereof. Our recent, intriguing observations suggest that the natural process of removing damaged mitochondria, being autophagy, is not activated in ...
Endocrine and metabolic aspects of organ failure in critical illness: perspectives for prevention and therapy. KU Leuven
Medical Risks and Development Deficit 4 Years after Pediatric Critical Illness: Role of Exposure to Plastic Softeners Released from Indwelling Medical Devices KU Leuven
The primary goal is to document the long-term medical risks and the development of critically ill children who have been treated in a pediatric intensive care unit and the relationship with exposure to softeners in plastics, phthalates, originating from invasive medical material that is routinely used in the intensive care department.
Interfering with metabolism during critical illness: from acute to longterm consequences KU Leuven
Intensive care medicine “bridges” critically ill patients to recovery. Inter-individual variability in the capacity and speed of recovery from organ failure points to a degree of genetic predisposition. However, insight in why certain patients recover and others don’t remains very limited. Organs from patients who do not recover show few if any signs of cell death. Instead, cells accumulate damaged and dysfunctional organelles, damaged ...