Projects

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Bidirectional communication between the enteric nervous system and elements of the immune system in inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. University of Antwerp

Jean-Pierre Timmermans
Laboratory of cell biology and histology
In this project animal models were used to study the interaction between neuronal components of the GI tract and elements of the immune system, more particularly mast cells and dendritic cells, during inflammation. This interaction appears to play an important role in the inflammatory response and might offer a better insight for the observed hyperexcitability of afferent components of the enteric nervous system during gastrointestinal ...

The development of cell-cell communication and neural circuits in the enteric nervous system. KU Leuven

Pieter Vanden Berghe
Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders

The development of the nervous system is vital to establishing a functioning organism. The enteric nervous system controls the function of the gastrointestinal tract, and is crucial for controlling the movement of food through the small and large intestines. Errors in the development of the enteric nervous system could be the underlying cause of many gastrointestinal disorders, particularly paediatric motility disorders, where children have ...

Neuronal differentiation during the development of the Enteric nervous system. KU Leuven

Pieter Vanden Berghe
Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders

The development of the nervous system is vital to establishing a functioning organism. The enteric nervous system controls the function of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, its motility. Errors in the development of the enteric nervous system could be the underlying cause of many gastrointestinal disorders, including paediatric motility disorders, where children have functional defects in the control of their gastrointestinal tract. ...

Neuropathy and neuroplasticity of the enteric nervous system playing a part in the ethiopathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis in the preterm piglet and neonatal rat. University of Antwerp

Christa Van Ginneken
Comparative Perinatal Development (CoPeD)
Approximately 10% of the low birth weight infants develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Symptoms of NEC such as abnormal intestinal motility, permeability and blood flow can be linked to a neuropathy of the enteric nervous system (ENS). In the preterm piglet and neonatal rat, in vivo and in vitro experiments will be used to challenge the hypothesis that a neuropathy of the ENS plays a role in the ethiopathogenesis of NEC.

Optogenetic analysis of circuitry formation in the enteric nervous system in health and in a model of gastrointestinal dysmotility. KU Leuven

Pieter Vanden Berghe
Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders

Digestive function relies on the orchestrated activity of the enteric nervous system, a precisely wired network of neurons and their support cells embedded in the wall of the gut. The enteric nervous system is vital for coordinating the muscle contractions that control the mixing and propulsion of food in the gut, and is able to do this without input from the brain. In order to do this, enteric neurons must be meticulously wired together in a ...

Live imaging of neurons and mitochondria in the human enteric nervous system to assess Parkinson’s disease related neurodegeneration KU Leuven

Pieter Vanden Berghe
Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders

Neurodegenerative disorders, have a large impact on social and economic level; they affect quality of life to a large extent and create high financial burden for patients. Until now the only diagnosis for most of the neurodegenerative diseases is based on clinical symptoms, which occur when the disease is already advanced. Thus, available therapy for neurodegenerative disorders is unfortunately purely symptomatic. Therefore apart from ...

Prenatal adeno-associated viral transduction of the enteric nervous system as a novel toolbox in neurogastroenterological research. University of Antwerp

Roeland Buckinx
Laboratory of cell biology and histology
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is responsible for the regulation of basic gastrointestinal functions and harbors different subtypes of neurons, difficult to identify in (live cell) experiments. This research project studies the prenatal transduction of the ENS with recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors with the goal of employing this methodology for the identification, modulation and imaging of functional neuronal subtypes during the ...

Pharmacological and electrical stimulation of the enteric nervous system as a new therapeutic approach for postoperative ileus. KU Leuven

Guy Boeckxstaens
Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders, Abdominal Surgical Oncology

Each abdominal surgical intervention leads to impaired motility of the entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract lasting several days with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, intolerance to food and absence of defecation, which is referred to as postoperative ileus (POI). This condition is a major source of patient morbidity and prolonged hospital stay and represents a significant economic burden to health care systems.

Previous research has ...

The peripheral component of neurodegeneration: uptake and transmission of amyloid proteins in the enteric nervous system. University of Antwerp

Jean-Pierre Timmermans
Laboratory of cell biology and histology
Since a few years, evidence is growing that a disease process affecting the central nervous system (CNS) can also involve its enteric counterpart (ENS) and vice-versa. Indeed, various neurodegenerative disorders are accompanied or even preceded by gastrointestinal malfunctions. This relationship is well-documented for prion diseases and Parkinson's disease, but has not yet been scrutinized for Alzheimer's disease (AD), a devastating ...