Neuroimmune connections & repair lab (NIC&R)

The complex interplay between the central nervous system and the immune system is crucial for a long and healthy life, but disturbances in this delicate balance contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. The NIC&R lab investigates fundamental mechanisms in neuroinflammation, repair and immune aging, so that novel leads for disease interventions are generated and validated.

The NIC&R lab consists of 3 teams:
NIC&R team (PI: Niels Hellings)
CBN team (PI: Bieke Broux) and
RICE team (PI: Tim Vanmierlo)

Immune aging in health & disease (MS, spinal cord injury)

Leen Slaets, PhD

Lena Fonteyn, PhD student 

Naomi Veeningen, PhD student

Marie Rutten, PhD student



Remyelination strategies for demyelinating diseases (MS, CMT)

Jana Van Broeckhoven, PhD

 


Herpes viruses in multiple sclerosis (collab, Prof Laurent Gillet, ULiège)

Annet Van De Waterweg Berends, PhD student



Neutrophils in multiple sclerosis (collab. Prof Sofie Struyf, KULeuven)

Mirre De Bondt, PhD student



Anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody therapy in inflammatory barrier diseases (collab. CIM. Havana)

Cynthia Gonzalez Muñoz, PhD student

• Mouse models of multiple sclerosis, demyelination and spinal cord injury
• High dimensional flow cytometry: panels for T-cells and immune aging (FCU)
• Primary rodent CNS cell cultures (oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, neurons) and functional assays (​brain slices, microfiber assays, etc.)
• Primary human immune cell cultures and functional assays
• Lentiviral vector mediated delivery of transgenes to the CNS
• Immunopathology of post mortem brain samples

Full list of publications: pubmed

Hirsch-index Web

1. Oncostatin M triggers brain inflammation by compromising blood-brain barrier integrity
   Hermans D.*, Houben E.*, Baeten P., Slaets H., Janssens K., Hoeks C., Hosseinkhani B., Duran G., Bormans S., Gowing E., Hoornaert C., Beckers L., Fung WK., Schroten H., Ishikawa H., Fraussen J., Thoelen R., de Vries HE., Kooij G., Zandee S., Prat A., Hellings N.*, Broux B.*
   Acta Neuropathol. 2022 Aug;144(2):259-281.
   
   
2. Neutrophils: Underestimated Players in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
   De Bondt M, Hellings N*, Opdenakker G*, Struyf S*. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jun 26;21(12):4558.
   
   
3. Oncostatin M-induced astrocytic tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 drives remyelination
   Houben E.*, Janssens K.*, Hermans D., Van den Haute C., Schepers M., Vanmierlo T., Vandooren J., Lambrichts I., Baekelandt V., Opdenakker G., Baron W., Broux B.*, Slaets H.*, Hellings N.*
   Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Mar 3;117(9):5028-5038.
   
   
4. Cytomegalovirus infection exacerbates autoimmune mediated neuroinflammation.
   Vanheusden M, Broux B, Welten SPM, Peeters LM, Panagioti E, Van Wijmeersch B, Somers V, Stinissen P, Arens R, Hellings N.
   Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 6;7(1):663.
   
   
5. CX3CR1 drives cytotoxic CD4+CD28- T cells into the brain of multiple sclerosis patients
   Broux B, Pannemans K, Zhang X, Markovic-Plese S, Broekmans T, Eijnde BO, Van Wijmeersch B, Somers V, Geusens P, van der Pol S, van Horssen J, Stinissen P, Hellings N. J Autoimmun. 2012; Feb;38(1):10-9.

Kan je gezond 100 jaar worden door immuunsysteem te trainen? (pdf, 1.4 MB)
artikel uit Het Belang van Limburg - 24/01/2024

UHasselt onderzoekt invloed van sporten op het immuunsysteem (pdf, 1.9 MB)
artikel uit De Standaard - 24/01/2024

Train je immuunsysteem en word 100 jaar oud
Lena Fonteyn, PhD student

Dwarslaesie en veroudering van je immuunsysteem
Naomi Veeningen, PhD student

Waarom worden we sneller ziek als we ouder zijn?
Universiteit van Vlaanderen - Podcast dr. Leen Slaets

Hoe word je 100 jaar zonder ziek te worden?
Universiteit van Vlaanderen - prof.dr. Niels Hellings

"Nagenoeg iedereen draagt het virus dat MS veroorzaakt (DS)"
Recent onderzoek in Harvard bevestigt dat je 32x meer kans loopt om 10 jaar na het oplopen van het klierkoortsvirus MS te ontwikkelen.

Waarom sommige mensen nooit ziek lijken te worden. (pdf, 1.5 MB)
artikel uit DeMorgen - 20/03/2023