Projects
Deciphering the molecular mechanism that account for intestinal barrier dysfunction in cirrhosis KU Leuven
Cirrhosis is the end result of chronic liver diseases and its pathophysiology is paired with a progressive breach of the intestinal barrier. In my research proposal, I shall address the fundamental question on how the intestinal barrier fails in cirrhosis. In the lab wel apply single-cell RNAsequencing to survey the transcriptional landscape of epithelial and immune cells from control and cirrhosis patients to map cellular and molecular ...
Harnessing single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to uncover novel insights into the pathological events that trigger the progression of acute-on-chronic liver failure KU Leuven
ACLF is een klinisch belangrijk syndroom dat zich ontwikkelt bij patiënten met gedecompenseerde cirrose. Deze ziekte-entiteit wordt gekenmerkt door een snelle verslechtering van de leverfunctie, de ontwikkeling van orgaanfalen en een hoge mortaliteit. Momenteel bestaat er geen therapie en de enige behandelingsoptie voor ACLF is orgaan ondersteuning en behandeling van de uitlokkende gebeurtenis. Patiënten met ACLF vertonen enerzijds een ...
Validation and implementation of a prognostic biomarker of early graft failure after liver transplantation (GlycoTransplantTest) KU Leuven
The future of medicine is the implementation of personalised medicine or precision medicine. In order to achieve this goal, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are needed. This is an example of a new unchallenged biomarker that could introduce precision medicine in the care of patients after liver transplantation. In the first year after liver transplantation 10% of transplanted livers will fail and require retransplantation. Evaluating a ...
Therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound: where are we and where do we go? KU Leuven
Since the last decade, there has been a revolution in techniques using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). This technique provides definitive endoscopic therapy in a wide array of patients in which classic endoscopic interventions have failed or are likely to fail. More specifically in the context of biliary strictures, gastric and duodenal stenosis, as well as hepatobiliary diseases resistant to classic endoscopic therapies. Despite the significant ...
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): Using single-cell RNA sequencing to profile adipose tissue macrophages. KU Leuven
ATMs have been suggested to be critically linked to metabolic regulation during NAFLD progression, exposing them as potential targets in the design of new therapies. We hypothesize that adipose tissue contains multiple distinct populations of macrophages with unique tissue distributions, transcriptomes, metabolomics and functions. Here we aim to unravel the cellular and functional heterogeneity within adipose macrophages particularly in human ...
Cirrhosis on single cell level: transcriptional and metabolic profiles in the peritoneum unraveled KU Leuven
We aim to fully understand alterations in a cirrhotic peritoneum by analyzing a decompensated cirrhosis and a unique healthy control group in parallel.
Work package 1
We aim to characterize peritoneal immune cells at a single cell level, creating a complete map of the immunomodulatory properties of these cells.
Work package 2
In addition, we will create an overview of metabolic and immunologic substrates in the ...
MICROBiome-based biomarkers to PREDICT decompensation of liver cirrhosis and treatment response KU Leuven
Decompensation of liver cirrhosis and progression towards acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) causes 1.2 million deaths/year. Microbiome is causally involved in cirrhosis progression and is for drugs the first interaction point with the patients. Drugs can alter the microbiome leading to unwanted effects or even facilitating their effects, but the microbiome metabolizes the drugs, shapes their effects and possibly determines the host ...
Mapping metabolic re-wiring and dysfunction in mitochondrial disease. KU Leuven
We aim to generate a more detailed understanding of how the metabolic activity of cells from mitochondrial disease patients is alterd, principally using the technique of trancer based metabolomics, such that we can re-apply this information to re-group and re-define disease mechanisms amongst mitochondrial disease patients.
Academic Center for Research On Nutritional health In Man KU Leuven
This application aims to establish a state-of-the-art facility for multidisciplinary and integrative academic research on the complex interaction between gastrointestinal, metabolic, endocrine, neural, behavioral and psychological mechanisms underlying the regulation of hunger, feeding behavior and body weight in health and various diseases including gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, liver disease, obesity and eating disorders. To conduct ...