More than 3 million deaths worldwide are linked to excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse associated gut barrier dysfunction is thought to play an important role in the development of alcohol-associated liver disease. Although some aspects that contribute to this process have been elucidated,
Last updated on: 15-09-2025 - 08:46
Contact: Ami Gloria Toulehohoun
Organisation: Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
Partners: Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
Status: Internally validated, Published in peer reviewed journal
This method generates cortical brain organoids from embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells. The protocol involves neural induction of 3D aggregates (embryoid bodies) which are then directed towards the cortical lineage in the presence of small molecules. SMAD inhibition (dorsomorphin
Last updated on: 12-09-2025 - 08:51
Contact: Roel Quintens
Organisation: Belgian Nuclear Research Centre
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer worldwide, with radiotherapy being a common treatment. Existing models of the gastrointestinal tract, including mouse and 2D immortalized human cell culture models, lack the combination of human representability and radiotoxicity. This study seeks
Last updated on: 09-09-2025 - 16:29
ChP organoids are produced starting from human induced pluripotent or embryonic stem cells. 7 days after seeding of the stem cells, the organoids are embedded in matrigel. After 30-40 days, the organoids are differentiated and form a functional blood-CSF barrier with fluid-filled cysts resembling
Last updated on: 08-09-2025 - 12:04
Contact: Xenia Ghysel
Organisation: Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent University (UGent)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
Chronic pain affects 20% of the population, impacting daily life and increasing psychosocial burdens for patients. Limited mechanistic understanding of human pain pathophysiology and inadequate study models, primarily rodent-based, hinder the development of effective pain medications without major
Last updated on: 29-08-2025 - 10:07
Contact: Dara Khosrowshahi
Organisation: Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum (IMEC), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)
Status: Still in development, Published in peer reviewed journal
Cholestatic liver injury is a complex adversity leading to the toxic accumulation of noxious bile salts in the liver and systemic circulation. Cholestasis can be instigated by a plethora of chemicals originating from several applicability domains. Current efforts fail to predict the cholestatic
Last updated on: 28-08-2025 - 11:18
Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Partners: Ghent University (UGent)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
Fatty liver disease, which can result from various factors including chemical exposure, is an increasing clinical concern. A key event in its development is steatosis, referring to the accumulation of lipids within hepatocytes. To enable early detection of chemical-induced liver steatosis, we
Last updated on: 28-08-2025 - 11:18
Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
This method describes a well-known optimised human in vitro model of drug-induced cholestasis. Cryopreserved primary human hepatocytes are cultured between two layers of extracellular matrix scaffold, which will delay dedifferentiation and allows to restore cell-extracellular matrix interactions.
Last updated on: 14-08-2025 - 13:14
Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Status: Still in development
The method detects two facets of drug-induced cytotoxicity i.e. the intracellular accumulation of phospholipids and of neutral lipids, i.e. phospholipidosis and steatosis respectively. The assay makes use of a kit containing an aqueous, red-fluorescent formulation of labelled phospholipids (LipidTOX
Last updated on: 14-08-2025 - 13:13
Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Status: History of use
This method assesses general cytotoxicity. Upon disruption of the cell membrane, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is released. LDH catalyzes the interconversion of pyruvate and lactate with concomitant interconversion of reduced (NADH) and oxidized (NAD+) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. The principle
Last updated on: 14-08-2025 - 13:12
Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Status: History of use
