Projects
3D-RET: unlocking 3D genome architecture in human retina using C-technologies Ghent University
Human adult neural retina contains seven major cell classes and is bordered by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid layer. Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) in human adult and developing retina have been mapped using bulk and single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics, providing insight into gene regulation and contributing to non-coding variant interpretation in inherited retinal diseases (IRD). IRD represent a major cause of ...
Peroxisomes and vision: what is the role of peroxisomal oxidation in the retina? KU Leuven
The crucial function of peroxisomes for vision is illustrated by the fact that prominent ophthalmological pathology, including retinopathy, occurs in nearly all peroxisomal diseases. Peroxisomes are subcellular organelles that play an essential role in oxygen and lipid metabolism, but their precise contribution to the maintenance of tissue homeostasis is still largely obscure. According to our preliminary data, the retina of mice with ...
Aβ and tau pathology in the retina of Alzheimer’s disease patients and non-demented elderly individuals and its relation to the brain pathology KU Leuven
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative dementia in the elderly. Its complex pathogenesis is linked to the accumulation of abnormal phosphorylated τ protein and amyloid β peptide aggregates in the central nervous system. However, between the initiation of this protein aggregation and the onset of cognitive impairment, there is a gap of more than 10 years. Given that non-demented individuals already exhibit ...
Regeneration in the ageing retina of the zebrafish. KU Leuven
The influence of processes of aging on the regenerative potential of the zebrafish retina
Senescence in the central nervous system (CNS) is a complex biological phenomenon, and the underlying mechanisms are subject to intensive study. Indeed, the natural process of ageing in the CNS leads to a drastic decline in sensory, motor and cognitive functions, which is mainly caused by significant neuronal cell death and strongly intertwined ...
Dissecting the neural circuits linking the retina and visually guided behavior KU Leuven
The behavior of an animal can be triggered by cues in its visual environment. For example, when a predator moves towards a mouse, it might either run away or freeze. I aim to understand the neural networks that link a visual stimulus with these innate behaviors. There exists two brain areas elicit whos activation is known to trigger a freezing behavior in response to an approaching stimulus. Both of these areas are connected to the retina, ...
Functional study of a novel, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) upstream of ABCA4 in retina and blindness Ghent University
Up to 40% of patients with inherited blindness remain molecularly unsolved, leading to increasing interest in non-coding regions. Here, we aim to characterize a novel retina-specific long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) located in the topologically associating domain of the ABCA4 disease gene by performing functional studies and determining its role in disease. This study will be exemplary for future lncRNA-studies.
RETINA Rethinking technical interventions to advance visual literacy of young people in art museums. KU Leuven
This project wil explore the opportunities digital technologies offer to support visual literacy education in museums. This will be done by organizing pop-up co-disign studios within art museums in Belgium and abroad. These pop-up studios entail a very close collaboration with the two key stakeholders: art museums and young people. The results of the studios will uncover future directions for art museums to incorporate digial technologies for ...
Dissecting the neural circuit connecting the retina and superior colliculus KU Leuven
The nervous system is built from thousands of cell types that are organized into distinct circuits to perform behaviorally relevant computations. However, despite our detailed knowledge of the spatial arrangement of information in the brain, our understanding of how neurons are wired together to carry out specific computations remains poor. To gain insight about brain function and to treat specific diseases it is critical to understand what ...
In vivo evaluation of the expression kinetics and immunogenicity of lipid nanoparticle mediated messenger RNA and self-amplifying messenger RNA delivery to the retina. KU Leuven
The current project will focus on two key aspects, namely (i) the degree, duration and location of protein expression and (ii) the toxicity (immunogenicity) of the formulations after IVT injection. Therefore, LNP formulations containing reporter mRNA/saRNA expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) will be IVT injected in mice and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) will be performed to follow GFP expression in function of time. ...