Name "Ghent Centre for Afrikaans and the Study of South Africa" Orthodontics "Maria Cadenas de Llano Perula" "Research at the KU Leuven Orthodontic unit is focused on aspects of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics both in growing and non-growing populations. Growth, development and morphology are evaluated in three dimensions whenever applicable.- Studies on the role of the MSX1-gen in the ethiology of cleft lip and palate and hypodontia. - Hormonal interactions with craniofacial morphology and growth. - The use of dental maturation score in forensic dentistry. - Periodontal condition in unilateral cleft lip and palate cases between 8 and 20 yrs of age. - The study of friction in orthodontic sliding mechanics. - Development of a computer-aided and education system for an orthodontic training program of dental students. - Distraction osteogenesis of the mandible and the maxilla." "Biomaterials - BIOMAT" "Bart Van Meerbeek" "DENTAL BIOMATERIALSThe BIOMAT research group focuses on diverse kinds of biomaterials with orofacial application, and encompasses fundamental material science and biological cell culture, micro-organism and animal research, as well as applied laboratory and clinical research.Current major research lines include:Biocompatibility and cariogenicity of dental biomaterialsDental adhesive technologyTranslational research from fundamental material science to clinical trialsDental ceramics as restorative and implant biomaterialEndodontology (including pulp capping, pulp revascularization and regeneration)Mechanobiology in implant dentistry and optimization of implant osseointegrationClinical evaluation of direct, semi-direct and indirect adhesive restorative materials and proceduresClinical studies on oral implant therapy and rehabilitationMore information can be found on https://gbiomed.kuleuven.be/biomat" "Peripheral Neuropathies Group" "Vincent Timmerman" "State of the art Inherited peripheral neuropathies belong to the most common neuromuscular disorders and occur worldwide (1/2500). The best known is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), an inherited disorder first described in 1886. Most patients have a progressive weakness and wasting of foot and hand muscles. Sometimes patients need walking aids or become wheelchair dependent even at a young age. The clinical variability and genetic heterogeneity often poses difficult diagnostic problems. Treatment is currently supportive (braces and foot surgery) and a therapy that fundamentally alters the course of these diseases is still lacking. A better understanding of the molecular architecture of the peripheral nerve, the functional pathways, the myelination process and the complex interaction between the axon, the myelinating Schwann cells and muscle is crucial to identify targets for therapeutic interventions. The identification of loci, genes and disease-causing mutations involved in the inherited peripheral neuropathies is the first step in this understanding and opens new perspectives for molecular genetic diagnosis. Genotype/phenotype correlations guide the selection of specific mutations suitable for functional analysis in cellular and animal models. These models are instrumental in the search for therapies. The knowledge gained from the molecular genetic and biological research of inherited peripheral neuropathies will also help to make progress in the study of acquired peripheral neuropathies. Some of these neuropathies are often therapy-resistant, have a profound influence on the quality of life of the patients, and constitute a financial burden for both the individual and the community. Strategy The peripheral nervous system (PNS) exchanges motor, sensory and autonomic information between the central nervous system (CNS) and the limbs, organs and tissues. A series of biological and environmental conditions, such as genetic mutations, chemical stress, infections or metabolic insults, can lead to axonal loss and demyelination, the pathological hallmarks of peripheral nerve degeneration. Moreover, degeneration of peripheral nerves is accompanied by a local activation of the immune system. The Peripheral Neuropathy Group aims at understanding the delicate balance between peripheral nerve homeostasis and degeneration by using two paradigms: (1) how do genetic mutations lead to peripheral nerve degeneration and (2) what is the role of the innate immune system in nerve protection. Science Over the years, our lab has become one of the main CMT research centers in the world; overall, 1/3 of the 40 IPN disease causing genes were found within our team or via international collaborations. Not surprisingly, many of these genes encode proteins that are involved in myelination and maintenance of the peripheral nerve. However, also ubiquitously expressed genes with basic tasks in every cell were found to specifically cause peripheral nerve degeneration. Since the identification of a disease-associated gene is only a first step in unraveling the disease pathomechanism, we aim to go further and understand the functional consequences of the pathogenic mutations. We chose to focus on genes that our lab identified to be causative for CMT. We aim to unravel the unique properties of these proteins in peripheral nerve biology as well as explore how these properties are affected upon mutation. To this end, we develop cellular and animal model systems. We are not only investigating the impact of disease-causing mutations on the well established functions of these proteins, but additionally try to identify novel pathways in which these proteins might be involved by undertaking large scale approaches. Our 'gene-driven' approach is further complemented by a second research line, which aims to identify the role of the innate immune system in neuroprotection and -degeneration. Understanding how this balance is controlled might allow us to fine-tune or even stimulate an inherent neuroprotective response. We strongly believe that our research strategy can contribute to the development of novel treatment strategies for CMT patients. The interaction between neurologists, molecular geneticists and cell biologists places our lab in a privileged position: it ensures access to patient material, and also allows us to couple back our findings in the lab with clinical data. We also maintain contacts with the International CMT Consortium by co-organising meetings and workshops." "Cardio & organ systems" "Annelies BRONCKAERS" "The Cardiology and Organ Systems (COST) research group focuses on in vitro and in vivo cellular and animal models in different fields such as cardiovascular disease, oncology and neurological disorders. These include the use of different stem cell types (embryonal, iPSC, DPSC, CASCs) and animal models of diastolic and systolic heart failure, cancer, peripheral neuropathies and ischemic stroke. These models are used to design and develop therapeutic applications in e.g. cancer and myocardial infarction or to unravel underlying disease mechanisms e.g. the role of AGEs and extracellular vesicles in cardio- and cerebrovascular disease. In addition to (stem) cell-based therapies, the effect of exercise as a medicine to improve the cardiometabolic status in various neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as in diabetes is studied. In general, the underlying biomedical/biomolecular mechanisms are investigated in animal models and human subjects using proteomic, genomic and bionanotechnology approaches.  This enables us to identify biomarker signatures (e.g. extracellular vesicles containing biomarkers) associated with the disease status or to monitor successful therapies. Thanks to the close collaboration with Reval, the Jessa Hospital and ZOL, we have the unique opportunity to combine basic research and clinical research and to translate acquired knowledge into clinical practice" "Development and Regeneration, Kulak Kortrijk Campus" "Lieven Thorrez" "Development and regeneration, Kulak Campus Kortrijk involved in stem cell and developmental biology, human reproduction, pre-and postnatal development and the wider scope of regenerative medicine." "Jordanova Lab" "Albena Jordanova" "Research on the identification and characterization of genes and pathways implicated in the molecular etiology of inherited neuromuscular disorders, like motor and sensory peripheral neuropathies and spastic paraplegias, understanding the molecular pathomechanisms and design strategies for prevention and treatment of these devastating diseases." "Population Studies in Oral Health" "Dominique Declerck" "Current research lines are:Exploring caries experience and its determinantsOral health monitoring of population groupsInventorizing oral health care needs in specific groups of the Belgian populationEvaluation of an oral health promotion initiative in small children - the Smile for Life projectTiming of tooth emergence and the challenge of dealing with interval-censored dataMisclassification and interval censoring when assessing caries experienceImpact of orthodontic treatment on oral health" "Van Den Bosch Lab" "Ludo Van Den Bosch" "Researching the mechanisms of acute and chronic axonal and neuronal degeneration and regeneration, aiming to contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders, studying motor neuron diseases (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and hereditary motor neuropathies), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and stroke." "VIB CMN - Molecular Neurogenomics" "Albena Jordanova" "The Lab focuses on the identification and characterization of disease-causing genes and pathways implicated in the molecular etiology of neurological disorders, like inherited peripheral neuropathies (CMT) and inherited epilepsies. For this purpose we use two major research strategies: - unraveling the role of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in peripheral neurodegeneration as a tool for understanding the molecular pathomechanisms of peripheral neuropathies; - identification of novel disease-causing genes and mutations implicated in inherited forms of peripheral neuropathies and epilepsies using population and family based genetic approaches. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are ubiquitously expressed and essential proteins, involved in the initial steps of protein biosynthesis and therefore indispensible for cell survival. We recently reported that specific mutations in the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS, YARS) cause Dominant Intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type C (DI-CMTC) - a genetic and phenotypic variant of inherited peripheral neuropathy. It is enigmatic how mutations in this protein can lead to a peculiar specificity of the pathophysiological deficit, characterized by axonal degeneration of the peripheral nerves only. We were the first to establish that the DICMTC phenotype is not due to haploinsufficiency of enzymatic activity, but to a gain-offunction alteration of the mutant YARS or interference with an unknown function of the wild type protein. To unravel the alternative function of YARS in the nervous system we developed the first Drosophila model for inherited peripheral neuropathy, as well as appropriate cellular and yeast systems. We apply a genetic approach of an unbiased, gain-of-function modifier screen to identify genes, whose function modulates neuron-specific mutant YARS phenotypes in fly. The most promising putative modifiers are studied in details using different experimental paradigms. In this way we aim to pinpoint the main molecular pathways where this protein is involved and to simultaneously unravel known or novel molecular pathomechanisms implicated in CMT. In a parallel research direction we tackle the complex molecular pathology of clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders, like inherited peripheral neuropathies and inherited epilepsies, using the advantages of founder or inbred populations. Our starting material are unique collections of nuclear inbred families with autosomal-recessive CMT forms coming from different geographic regions and ethnic groups of the world, as well as epileptic families belonging to the isolated population of European Gypsies. Using genetic approaches for mapping of recessive disorders combined with the most recent advances in genotyping technologies, we aim to create a powerful tool for disease-causing locus and gene identification. The identification of genes implicated in different forms of peripheral neuropathies and epilepsies contributes to the understanding of the pathophysiology of these disorders by revealing new disease mechanisms or strengthening the importance of the known ones. The mutations that are found allow genotype-phenotype correlations and have an important impact on the diagnostics, genetic counseling and disease prevention. Our findings provide the rational basis for the development of novel drugs and therapeutic concepts."