Projects
Characterisation and modulation of the enteric neuroimmune environment during endotoxin-induced ileus. University of Antwerp
Role of enteric Neuro-Immune units in mucosal homeostasis. University of Antwerp
Use of an AAV9-based system for vectored immunoprophylaxis (VIP) targeting SOD1 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). KU Leuven
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that is almost always fatal. In 20% of familial ALS patients, ALS is caused by mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. These mutations alter the conformation of SOD1 and it starts to form aggregates. It is thought that misfolded SOD1 is toxic, causing motor neuron death. One possible way to treat ALS is to reduce the levels of toxic SOD1. Antibodies ...
The role of LRRK2 in the peripheral immune system and gut-to-brain spreading of alpha-synuclein pathology in Parkinson's disease KU Leuven
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative motor disorder characterized by dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the midbrain and accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates. αSyn misfolding, aggregation, and prion-like propagation are considered key pathological events in the pathophysiology of PD. Evidence suggests that synucleinopathy can initiate in peripheral tissues and spread from the enteric nervous system, via the ...
The role of the peripheral immune system and LRRK2 in gut-to-brain spreading of alpha-synuclein pathology in Parkinson’s disease KU Leuven
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative motor disorder characterized by dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the midbrain and accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates. αSYN misfolding, aggregation, and prion-like propagation are considered key pathological events in the pathophysiology of PD. Evidence suggests that synucleinopathy can initiate in peripheral tissues and spread from the enteric nervous system, via the ...
Enterische neuronen als potentieel nieuwe spelers in intestinale immuun homeostase KU Leuven
The intestine is continuously exposed to foreign antigens, mainly of dietary and microbial origin. In order to prevent an exaggerated response to harmless antigens and commensal bacteria, the immune system of the gut typically is tolerogenic and will only be activated under well defined circumstances. Recently, we provided evidence that the nervous system of the gut communicates with the intestinal immune system and controls the activation ...
Study on the role of macrophages in neurodegeneration during aging KU Leuven
Tissue resident macrophages have long been known for their role in host defense and pathogen clearance, but only in recent years have we come to appreciate that these cells can develop a surprising degree of functional specialisation, thereby fulfilling tissue-specific functions in the organ in which they reside. The instruction of such specific functions is largely imprinted via signalling from surrounding cells, the so-called macrophages ...
Connections and connectivity in the gut-brain axis KU Leuven
In this project we will investigate how the enteric neurons embedded in the intestinal wall connect to other nerve networks within but also outside the intestine. The enteric nervous system (ENS) consists of two ganglionated plexus layers that surround the gastrointestinal tract and extend along its full length. The best characterized layer is the myenteric plexus situated between the circular and longitudinal muscle layers, which controls ...
Human nerve tissue from the wall of the intestine to study neurodegenerative disorders. KU Leuven
STATE OF THE ART
Reliable and easy accessible experimental models are the key to fruitful translational research. Talking about biomedical research, every scientist in this field would like to have human material at hand to perform their experiments, but this is not always possible. Especially in the field of neuroscience, researchers face the scarce availability of human nerve tissue (which, in fact, can only ...