Projects per year
Organization profile
Organisation profile
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).
Keywords
- pancreas
- regeneration
- embryonic stem cells
- diabetes
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Network
Profiles
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Luc Bouwens
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Vriendenkring VUB - Emeritus
- Basic (bio-) Medical Sciences - Undefined, Academic
- Cell Differentiation
Person: Sympathiser, Researcher, Professor
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Emmy De Blay
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Basic (bio-) Medical Sciences - Education/Research Officer
- Cell Differentiation
Person: Researcher, Administrative/technical staff
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Eddy Himpe
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Basic (bio-) Medical Sciences - Education/Research Officer
- Cell Differentiation
Person: Researcher, Administrative/technical staff
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Céline Moens
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School
- Cell Differentiation
Person: Researcher, Master's Programme
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BRGIMP11: BRIDGE: Diatype : Personalized medicine in diabetes: towards an etiology-based diagnosis and better patient care
1/01/18 → 31/03/22
Project: Applied
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AII62: Transdifferentiation on human exocrine acinar cells to endocrine beta cells by STAT3 and MAPK signalling.
1/07/10 → 30/06/12
Project: Fundamental
Research output
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Differential plasticity and fate of brain-resident and recruited macrophages during the onset and resolution of neuroinflammation
De Vlaminck, K., Van Hove, H., Kancheva, D., Scheyltjens, I., Pombo Antunes, A. R., Bastos, J., Vara-Perez, M., Ali, L., Mampay, M., Deneyer, L., Miranda, J. F., Cai, R., Bouwens, L., De Bundel, D., Caljon, G., Stijlemans, B., Massie, A., Van Ginderachter, J. A., Vandenbroucke, R. E. & Movahedi, K., 8 Nov 2022, In: Immunity. 55, 11, p. 2085-2102.e9 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
6 Citations (Scopus) -
Discovery and 3D imaging of a novel ΔNp63-expressing basal cell type in human pancreatic ducts with implications in disease
Martens, S., Coolens, K., Van Bulck, M., Arsenijevic, T., Casamitjana, J., Fernandez Ruiz, A., El Kaoutari, A., Martinez de Villareal, J., Madhloum, H., Esni, F., Heremans, Y., Leuckx, G., Heimberg, H., Bouwens, L., Jacquemin, P., De Paep, D. L., In't Veld, P., D'Haene, N., Bouchart, C., Dusetti, N. & 6 others, , 1 Oct 2022, In: Gut. 71, 10, p. 2030-2042 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Citations (Scopus)17 Downloads (Pure) -
In vitro comparison of various antioxidants and flavonoids from Rooibos as beta cell protectants against lipotoxicity and oxidative stress-induced cell death
Moens, C., Muller, C. J. F. & Bouwens, L., May 2022, In: PLOS ONE. 17, 5, 16 p., e0268551.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Rooibos phytochemicals as beta cell protectants
Moens, C., 2022, 173 p.Research output: Thesis › PhD Thesis
Open AccessFile -
Dynamic regulation of expression of KRAS and its effectors determines the ability to initiate tumorigenesis in pancreatic acinar cells
Assi, M., Achouri, Y., Loriot, A., Dauguet, N., Dahou, H., Baldan, J., Libert, M., Fain, J. S., Guerra, C., Bouwens, L., Barbacid, M., Lemaigre, F. P. & Jacquemin, P., 15 May 2021, In: Cancer Research. 81, 10, p. 2679-2689 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
7 Citations (Scopus)
Activities
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3rd joint meeting of the EASD Islet Study Group and Beta-Cell Workshop in Oxford, UK
Isabelle Houbracken (Participant)
1 Apr 2019 → 3 Apr 2019Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Presentatie en verdediging laboratoriumstage 2
Isabelle Houbracken (Examiner)
19 Jun 2019Activity: Other
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ORC day 2019 (Event)
Isabelle Houbracken (Peer reviewer)
18 Oct 2019Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial activity
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Toxicology in Vitro (Journal)
Isabelle Houbracken (Peer reviewer)
2019 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Publication peer-review
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Scientific Reports - Nature (Journal)
Isabelle Houbracken (Peer reviewer)
2019 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial activity