Projects
Fecal microbiota transplant in ulcerative colitis patients: what is the role of the human gut virome and can it be used as a biomarker for predicting treatment succes KU Leuven
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are a group of chronic remitting diseases involving inflammation of the gut. It is commonly categorized into two major phenotypes: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). UC is characterized by a continuous inflammation confined to the colonic mucosa, while CD presents a patchy transmural inflammation that has the potential to affect any layer of the gastrointestinal tract. Although the exact cause ...
Enteric Neuro-Immune units (eNIu) as sensors of environmental factors, their role in gut homeostasis (health and disease) and their impact on brain-gut axis physiology University of Antwerp
The role of the gut microbiota in mental wellbeing: a populationlevel analysis KU Leuven
The relation between the gut microbiota and mental health is one of the most intriguing and controversial topics in microbiome research. While it is currently a major focus of investigation and public interest, still little is known about the mechanisms of microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) interaction, and specially the ways through which the gut microbiota could affect brain functioning and contribute to mental health conditions. Most research has ...
Associations of the gut microbiota with inflammatory disease activity in multiple sclerosis Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Associations of the gut microbiota with inflammatory disease activity in multiple sclerosis KU Leuven
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by a wide clinical heterogeneity. Recent advances indicate a role for the gut microbial community, the so-called gut microbiota, in MS. Via the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication system involving immune, neural, metabolic, and endocrine pathways between the gut and the brain, the gut microbiota have the ...
Influence of arsenic exposure on the interplay between the gut microbiome and host Ghent University
Microbe-host cross-talk is an important determinant of human health with maintenance of gut
epithelial barrier function being a crucial process in this intricate relationship. Compromising the gut barrier has been associated with an increased risk for development of chronic inflammation, allergy, diabetes or metabolic disease. While the gut barrier controls (micro-)nutrient absorption, it also fends off antigens or xenobiotics. One of ...
Gut microbial metabolites and neurotransmitters as signals that determine stem cell fate in human enteroids during health and obesity KU Leuven
The intestine represents a dynamic environment that is continuously exposed to physiological, pathogenic and chemical stimuli. The intestinal epithelium acts as a barrier to protect these harmful substances from crossing into the bloodstream and causing infections, inflammation or immune responses. To this end a rapid turnover of epithelial cells is crucial for maintaining tissue integrity and functionality. The intestinal stem cells (ISCs) ...