Name Responsible Activity "Beta Cell Neogenesis" "Nico De LeuWillem Staels" "Diabetes mellitus is a pandemic metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. The pathogenic process is the result of insulin insufficiency. Insulin is a peptide hormone produced in the beta cells of the pancreatic islets. Current diabetes treatments strive for glycemic control but fail to solve the underlying beta cell defect. This approach has increased the life expectancy and quality of most patients with diabetes but has turned diabetes into a chronic disease.Curative strategies should aim at restoring and protecting the functional beta cell mass which in turn would selfregulate a fine-tuned glucose homeostasis. Such alternative beta cell replacement therapies could either rely on exogenous delivery of beta cells through transplantation, or on endogenous repair of the endocrine pancreas through beta cell regeneration.The main aim of the BENE lab is to (re)generate functional beta cells." "Gene Expression Unit" "We are interested in RNA expression of mammalian insulin producing pancreatic beta cells in order to explain how these cells function in normal health and how dysfunction can cause inappropriate release of insulin and diabetes.  We study the profound phenotypic changes that occur in rodent beta cells during pregnancy.  One of these changes concern serotonin production and secretion by a subpopulation of a heterogeneous beta cell population.  We want to understand why only part of the beta cells produces serotonin and what could be the physiological function of this phenomenon.   Second, we are interested in genes that are preferentially or specifically expressed in beta cells (the zinc transporter ZnT8 being an example).  Third, we discovered by serendipity that genes exist that are expressed in all tissues, except in one tissue.  We found for instance that some genes are specifically repressed in beta cells, this in order to prevent the release of insulin under circumstances that this is not appropriate.  We were the first to report the existence of these so called “disallowed genes” and we want to better understand how these genes are regulated in normal beta cells and if environmental changes can cause a change in repression." "Cell Differentiation" "Luc Bouwens" "Our team wants to find ways to generate new insulin-producing, glucose-regulated ""beta"" cells that can be used for transplantation in diabetes patients and ways to regenerate beta cells in the pancreas. We study rodent experimental models as well as human cells. The first aim is based on tissue engineering starting from: 1. Exocrine pancreatic cells: reprogramming of adult exocrine cells to endocrine cells, or transdifferentiation in culture. 2. Embryonic stem cells: directed differentiation by mimicking the embryonic environment in culture. Cell differentiation is driven in these models by addition of extracellular agents like growth factors, cytokines, hormones and extracellular matrix components. These studies include the phenotypic and functional characterization of the obtained (human) beta cells and their transplantation in animal models. The second aim is based on experimental animal models: 1. Pancreatic duct ligation, a ""neogenesis"" model that has been developed in our group and mimicks pancreatitis; it is the model that induces the most robust expansion of the beta cell mass. 2. Diabetic mice. In both models, we want to discover the progenitor cells from which new beta cells can be regenerated, and the extracellular factors that regulate the associated events (cell proliferation, differentiation, migration)." "Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology" "Christophe Matthys" "The action of steroid hormones (more specifically androgens and vitamin D) and of polypeptide hormones (more specifically calcium regulating hormones); the regulation of these hormones and their significance in human disease; the role of these hormones in normal and abnormal cellular differentiation. Development of new techniques for the measurement of hormones, hormone-binding proteins and hormone receptors. Development of new vitamin D analogues with specific effects on differentiation and immunomodulation." "Laboratory for Biochemical Neuroendocrinology" "John Creemers" "The Laboratory for Biochemical Neuroendocrinology conducts research into protein biosynthesis, maturation and trafficking in the (regulated) secretory pathway, in relation to human diseases like diabetes, obesity and autism." "Metabolomics Expertise Center (VIB-KU Leuven)" "Bart Ghesquière" "Research focus : Metabolism describes the whole of enzymatic reactions occurring inside and outside the cellular environment. Understanding how this 'engine' of reactions works and more importantly, understanding the metabolic alterations occurring during specific conditions and diseases, provides a powerful tool for the development of novel drug strategies." "Voets Lab" "Thomas Voets" "Studying ion channels of the TRP superfamily, patch-clamp measurements, calcium signaling, exocytosis." "Department of Comparative physiology and biometrics" "The research focuses on developing new statistical methodology with veterinary applications. The main research topic consists of modeling the infection dynamics of infectious diseases based on the frailty model." "Pathologic Biochemistry and Physiology" "The department of Pathologic Biochemistry and Physiology is responsible for (post)graduate teaching in this field. It also plays a co-ordinating role in the organisation of courses and training in medical research. Within its own laboratories, the department offers training to Master and Ph.D. students in research projects in the field of diabetes. The research activities are undertaken within the broader framework of the Diabetes Research Centre.The team is composed of the university staff of the department and personnel allocated by research programmes. It has developed technical expertise in flow cytometry, cell purification, cell function and toxicity tests, protein analysis and assays, in vitro and in vivo disease models, autoantibody detection. Current projects are focused on the following subjects: 1. The analysis of pathogenic processes leading to diabetes, in particular at the level of insulin-producing ß-cells; 2. The identification and biologic significance of disease markers, and their use in clinical biology; 3. The induction of human ß-cells neogenesis; 4. The testing of pharmacologic interventions at the level of the ß-cells; 5. The development of ß-cell transplantation for treatment of diabetes."