Projects
The role of intestinal microbiota in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases: identification of potentially beneficial and harmful micorbiota through ex vivo organoid technology. KU Leuven
The exact pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) remains incompletely understood, but a loss of tolerance to gut microbiota seems crucial. Interactions between host and microbiota take place at the intestinal surface which consists of intestinal stem cells (ISC), enterocytes, goblet, enteroendocrine, and Paneth cells. The differentiation of ISC into progeny cells is suggested to be disturbed in CD and UC. The impact ...
Microbiome analysis of the upper respiratory tract: identification of beneficial microbes with probiotic potential. University of Antwerp
Beneficial Lactobacillus interactions at the nasopharyngeal epithelium. University of Antwerp
Identification and characterization of beneficial oral bacteria KU Leuven
Periodontitis is an oral infectious pathology which affects the surrounding and supporting tissues of the teeth, leading to permanent loss of the teeth. In terms of prevalence, about 50 percent of the population suffers from periodontitis and around 15 percent of them from periodontitis in its more severe form. In addition, periodontitis is also associated with a large number of systemic disorders.
In healthy persons, the oral ...
Unraveling direct interactions between the airway microbiota and respiratory syncytial virus. University of Antwerp
Microbiota profiling of the house fly, Musca Domestica KU Leuven
We share our living spaces with a variety of insects – some of them can be nuisance pests, others can be beneficial, and some insects we do not even notice. These insects carry with them an abundance of microbes, that can be either beneficial (sometimes even crucial) or pathogenic for them, serve as a food source or be part of the transient microbiota. While insects can introduce valuable diversity to the niches they inhabit, they can also ...
Controlling oral biofilms through modulation of the commensal oral microbiota. An alternative for antiseptics? KU Leuven
Modulation of the commensal oral microbiota is a promising preventive or therapeutic strategy to battle the initiation and progression of biofilm-related oral pathologies such as periodontal diseases. Although established classical therapies, based on mechanical removal of dental plaque and sometimes supplemented with the use of antimicrobials, have proven clinical and microbiological benefits, their limitations justify the exploitation of ...
Nutrient mediated modulation of the oral microbiota KU Leuven
Periodontal diseases are a significant public health burden, of which severe periodontitis is the 6th-most prevalent disease, affecting 11% of the global population. Periodontitis is defined as infections of the tooth supporting tissue, leading to destruction of the connective tissue and alveolar bone, eventually resulting in tooth loss. While dental biofilm are known to play a major role in the development of periodontal diseases, the exact ...
Controlling oral biofilms trough modulation of the commensal microbiota. An alternative for antiseptics? KU Leuven
Dental plaque is a bacterial biofilm which can lead to tooth decay and periodontitis. Not all bacteria in dental plaque contribute to these diseases as they will only develop when specific pathogens become numerically dominant in dental plaque. It should not be surprising that also these pathogens are becoming more and more resistant towards antibiotics but also to antiseptics. Therefore alternative treatment or preventive options should be ...