Projects
Locomotor deficits after traumatic brain injury: a longitudinal study examining the influence of brain injury on spatial-temporal gaze behavior and gait deficits during rehabilitation. KU Leuven
Here, we will examine the relationship between spatial-temporal gaze behavior and impairments in gait/locomotion after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Previous studies have shown that TBI causes problems in cognitive factors such as attention, planning skills and speed of information processing as well as deficits in eye movements/oculomotor control and impairments in walking and balance. Despite the importance of visual guidance for walking, no ...
Immunomodulatory therapy for spinal cord injury via IL-4 en IL-13 secreting stem cells Hasselt University
Increasing evidence suggests that inflammatory processes after traumatic injuries of the central nervous system contribute substantially to neuroregeneration. This concept fuels the idea of to investigate the effect of therapeutically applied stem cells after spinal cord trauma. Previous data from our group show that the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 significantly promote axonal regeneration in vitro. Preliminary ...
Modelling of gene networks for steering of biomimetic production processes in tissue engineering. KU Leuven
The specialization of cartilage cells, or chondrogenic differentiation, is an intricate and meticulously regulated process that plays a vital role in both bone formation and cartilage regeneration. This PhD work centers on the development of computational models to study the molecular regulation of this process. First, we investigate how individual genes and their defects contribute to the overall change in functionality of the growth plate, ...
Multi-scale modeling in bone tissue enginnering: from biomaterials to intracellular signaling via the cell. KU Leuven
Bone regeneration is, like many other healing events, a complex, well-orchestrated process involving a myriad of different cell types and regulated by countless biochemical, physical and mechanical factors. But unlike other adult biological tissues, the majority of bone fractures can heal without the production of scar tissue, eventually recovering the original bone shape, size and strength. Despite bones remarkable healing capacity and the ...
Intratendinous strain distribution in Achilles tendon and tendinosis. KU Leuven
Achilles tendinopathy is well known for its unclear pathophysiology andtroublesome management. The exact intratendinous location of the tendinosis lesion has been suggested to play an important role in Achilles tendinopathy. It is hypothesized that local intratendinous strain variability may contribute to the occurrence of tendinosis development at different locations. Local strain differences may also influence the efficacy of therapeutic ...
The role of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSC) in angiogenesis and bone tissue engineering. Hasselt University
The use of stem cells is a very promising strategy in the field of bone tissue regeneration. While the utilization of embryonic stem cells faces major technical and ethical difficulties, attempts have started to apply adult stem cells. Recently, human adult stem cells isolated from tooth pulp (hDPSC) have been shown to be multipotent stem cells, able to differentiate into bone tissue. The success of bone tissue engineering depends on oxygen and ...
Treatment of erectile dysfunction following cavernous nerve injury with adipose-tissue derived stem cells: efficacy and insights into the mechanisms of action of stem cell therapy. KU Leuven
Radical prostatectomy is for most urologists the preferred treatment option for localized prostate carcinoma in young patients. During this surgery, irrespective of the extent of neurovascular budle preservation, neuropraxia of the cavernous nerves occurs, and Wallerian degeneration of these nerves ensues, resulting in fibrosis in the corpus cavernosum, anda loss in smooth muscle mass. These changes in turn result in changed compliance of the ...
Pancreatic cancer stem cells: the 'side population' as a new therapeutic target. KU Leuven
Pancreatic cancer (or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, PDAC) is a devastating disease with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. Late diagnosis and therapy resistance are determining factors in PDAC treatment failure. Better insight in the processes of tumour progression, metastasis and therapy failure is clearly needed to advance the field. Inthe present work, we used different experimental approaches to better understand these processes ...