Medical Biochemistry

Organisation profile:Proteolytic regulation of biological processes by endopeptidases and exopeptidases in human: isolation, expression, molecular characterization, functional exploration in vitro and in vivo, effects of inhibition, clinical and diagnostic applications, therapeutic drug target discovery. * Mechanism and pathophysiological role of the carboxypeptidase U pathway in fibrinolysis; study of related metallocarboxypeptidases (dirk.hendriks@ua.ac.be). * Functions of dipeptidylpeptidases in immunoregulation, diabetes, neuro-endocrine and metabolic processes in vitro and in vivo. (ingrid.demeester@ua.ac.be). * Structural, functional characterization of carboxy- and aminopeptidases: 3D molecular modeling, crystallography, mutagenesis, kinetic and physico-chemical analysis of substrate, ligand, inhibition, cofactor interactions, chemical modification. (anne-marie.lambeir@ua.ac.be). * Exocrine pancreas replacement in cystic fibrosis. Biological markers of affective disorders

Keywords:CARBOXYPEPTIDASE U, CARBOXYPEPTIDASE N, PROLYLOLIGOPEPTIDASES, DIPEPTIDYL PEPTIDASE, CARBOXYPEPTIDASE M, DRUG RESEARCH

Disciplines:Biochemistry and metabolism, Systems biology, Laboratory medicine, Medical biochemistry and metabolism