Projects
Nanobody-assisted precision delivery of the moonlighting host defense protein lactoferrin to combat infections with pathogenic bacteria. Ghent University
Antimicrobial resistance is a major health threat to humans and animals. There is an urgent need to develop novel alternatives to antibiotics. Lactoferrin is a promising alternative. Here, we will target porcine lactoferrin to aminopeptidase N via nanobodies to increase its bioavailability at the gut epithelium and determine its efficacy to combat infections with pathogenic E. coli and Chlamydia suis.
Next-generation apolipoprotein mimetic peptides as a therapeutic tool to promote remyelination in MS. Hasselt University
Harnessing acetylation to attenuate neuroinflammation and boost remyelination in multiple sclerosis patients. Hasselt University
The role of natural killer cell subsets in the multiple sclerosis brain KU Leuven
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), often leading to significant physical and cognitive disability. Although MS has traditionally been regarded as a disease of the adaptive immune system, the contribution of the innate arm, specifically natural killer (NK) cells, is gaining increasing attention. A previous successful Charcot Research Fund grant (2022) enabled us to apply single-cell ...
Unravelling the cell-cell circuits underlying the functional reprogramming of KCs and TAMs during liver metastasis Flanders Institute for Biotechnology
Award of the Research Board 2023 - Award Vandendriessche: Medicine and Biomedical sciences. University of Antwerp
Investigating the link between cell clearance by dendritic cells and cutaneous wound healing Ghent University
The skin is our largest organ and a natural barrier against frequent insults such as physical injury. Wound induced breaches to this barrier need to be restored as quickly as possible. Inability to properly repair skin integrity poses a great risk for infections and strongly impacts the quality of life. A crucial step in wound healing is the removal of apoptotic cells present at the injury site, typically performed by phagocytes as part of an ...
Unraveling how ZEB1 expression in conventional type I dendritic cells regulates the presence of other cell types specifically in the spleen and the functional consequences of this regulation. Ghent University
Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) exist as cDC1s and cDC2s and develop from precursors through the concerted action of distinct transcription factors (TFs). Recently, the ZEB family of TFs have been added to the list of TFs mediating cDC development as we and others, have shown that ZEB2 regulates the decision to become a cDC2. Additionally, our data also suggest that its homolog, ZEB1, is a critical cDC TF, specifically regulating splenic ...