Projects
Perturbation of extracellular matrix (ECM)-degrading cellulair devices by means of photoporation-directed nanobody delivery in immune cells and cancer cells. Ghent University
This project will investigate a particular intracellular structure that is found in immune cells, osteoclasts and cancer cells. It consists of many different proteins that together build up a so-called invadopodium. This is a sort of molecular tiny foot or 'drill' that makes holes in the underlying basement membrane. This allows immune cells to engage pathogens that are hidden somewhere in tissues, but also allows cancer cells to escape from ...
Screening and engineering extracellular matrix environments for the control of blood vessel formation KU Leuven
Tissues and organs must form new blood vessels in order to develop, grow and repair after injury. Unfortunately, cancerous tumours adopt similar mechanisms of vessel formation. As a result, understanding and controlling blood vessel growth from existing blood vessels (termed angiogenesis) is of critical importance in medicine. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of many different molecules, including proteins, glycoproteins, ...
Impact of extracellular matrix organization in the tumor environment on efficacy of immunotherapy in DNA mismatch repair deficient tumors Ghent University
Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the clinical management of multiple cancer types including DNA mismatch repairdeficient
tumors (Galluzi et al., 2018). However, even in this preselected group of patients, good and complete response
are achieved in only onefifth of the patients (Le et al., 2016; Le et al., 2017). Thus, there are still enormous opportunities
for ...
Impact of extracellular matrix organization in the tumor environment on efficacy of immunotherapy in DNA mismatch repair deficient tumors. University of Antwerp
Impact of extracellular matrix organization in the tumor environment on efficacy of immunotherapy in DNA mismatch repair deficient tumors. University of Antwerp
Development of Cartilaginous Microtissues based Decellularized Extracellular Matrix for Bone Tissue Engineering KU Leuven
Bone fractures are among the most common traumatic injuries, but regularly heal efficiently by forming a stabilizing cartilage callus that remodels to bone, a process called endochondral ossification (EO). Conversely, critically sized bone defects (exceeding 3 cm) represent a considerable challenge for both patients and orthopedic surgeons. The construction of cartilaginous microtissues presented a developmental bioengineering strategy ...
Linking extracellular matrix defects and chronic pain: the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome as a disease model Ghent University
Chronic pain is one of the most common, yet poorly studied, complaints in patients suffering from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). This heterogeneous group of heritable connective tissue disorders is characterized by skin hyperextensibility and fragility, joint hypermobility and generalized connective tissue fragility and is caused by defects in a variety of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules. Chronic pain is a major source of disability and ...
The Extracellular Matrix in Epileptogenesis (ECMED). University of Antwerp
Exploiting metabolic regulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) formation to inhibit metastatic growth KU Leuven
Metabolic priming of the pre-metastatic niche supports lung metastasis formation
2.1 million cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year, making it the most frequent cancer among women. Once breast cancers have metastasized they almost certainly result in patient mortality. On top of that, it is unknown how to inhibit metastatic growth or breast cancers. Thus, we have no effective treatment for ~25% of the patients. This is a ...