Projects
Differential BMP signaling in endothelial cell 'fate' decision making processes KU Leuven
Endothelial cells (EC) cover the inner lining of the blood vessel system. The ECs show important morphological, functional and molecular differences (heterogeneity) among arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels; among capillaries of different organs or between tip, stalk and phalanx cells. This heterogeneity can contribute to vessel-type restricted disorders and may explain the side effects and limited success of broad-spectrum ...
BMP signalling in endothelial function and dysfunction KU Leuven
Endothelial diversity in health and disease. KU Leuven
My lab's central research theme is understanding mechanisms underlying molecular, morphological and functional differences among endothelial cells (ECs) across the inner lining of our vascular system. The initial focus was to understand how this diversity is transcriptionally regulated in healthy conditions in large vessels and small capillaries in different vital organs (like brain, heart and liver). Now, we will expand this knowledge by ...
A non-metabolic role for glutamine synthetase in regulating endothelial actin cytoskeleton dynamics during vessel sprouting? KU Leuven
Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) pervasively line the lumen of all blood vessels in the body. ECs are quiescent under physiological homeostasis but adopt one of three states in disease. EC activation includes the induction of cell adhesion molecules involved in immune cell recruitment and is associated with inflammatory diseases. EC dysfunction constitutes a state where ECs are no longer able to perform their homeostatic ...
Endothelial cell metabolism blockade to induce tumor vessel normalization and improve immunotherapy KU Leuven
Traditional anti-angiogenesis strategies attempt to prune tumor vessels. However, their success is restricted by toxicity and resistance. There is thus an unmet need for new anti-angiogenic strategies with fundamentally distinct mechanisms. An alternative therapeutic paradigm is tumor vessel normalization (TVN). By healing disorganized vessels, TVN improves perfusion and oxygenation, tightens the leaky vascular wall, thus reducing metastasis ...
The neurovascular link: an unexpectedly important role of metabolism. KU Leuven
This Methusalem project will focus on unraveling the molecular and cellular basis of the formation of blood vessels (angiogenesis) in health and disease, and in particular the role of vascular metabolism and vascular heterogeneity herein, with the ultimate goal to identify novel therapeutic pro- or anti-angiogenic strategies.
Current anti-angiogenesis therapies (AATs), by targeting the pro-angiogenic factor VEGF, suffer resistance and ...
Role of lymphatics in asthma Ghent University
Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways which is increasingly observed in developed countries and which is characterized by airflow obstruction. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. The disease is driven by an exaggerated inflammatory response to inhaled allergens, such as house dust mites, pollen and animal dander. A crucial event in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma is ...