Bieke Broux (PhD) is Assistant Professor and group leader of “Chronic inflammation and Blood brain barrier disruption in Neurodegeneration” (CBN) lab at Hasselt University (Biomedical Research Institute).
Most research towards treating neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, is aimed at halting ongoing inflammation and restoring brain function, while the (environmental) trigger of disease is still unknown. Therefore, Bieke’s team searches for the cause(s) of neurodegeneration, combining fundamental research on mechanisms of chronic inflammation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption with the investigation of obesity as an inflammatory cause of neurodegeneration. In this way, novel therapeutic targets are identified and validated for use in patients.
Research lines:
- Regulatory T cell stability in the inflamed central nervous system
- Investigating both the immune-suppressive and remyelinative capacity of Tregs in neuroinflammation and -degeneration with the focus on identifying therapeutic targets for MS.
- The role of adaptive-to-innate phenotype switch in T helper cells in neurodegeneration Studying atypical characteristics of T helper cells in MS, including inflammasome activation and acquired cytotoxicity, and how this contributes to disease progression.
- Adipose tissue-brain axis as environmental trigger of neuroinflammation
- Examining the role of adipose tissue-derived T helper cells in triggering neuroinflammation and identifying other dietary influences on BBB permeability in this context.
Contact & links
- Affiliation: UHasselt, Belgium
- Unit: NIC&R lab
- Location: Agoralaan gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Campus Diepenbeek, Gebouw C, kantoor BMO-C005, Belgium
Selected publications
- Oncostatin M triggers brain inflammation by compromising blood-brain barrier integrity Hermans, D., Houben, E., Baeten, P. et al. Acta Neuropathol 144, 259–281 (2022). doi.org/10.1007/s00401-022-02445-0
- Interleukin-26, preferentially produced by TH17 lymphocytes, regulates CNS barrier function Broux B., Zandee S. et al. Neurology: Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation 2020 Aug 11;7(6):e870. doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000000870.
- EGFL7 reduces CNS inflammation in mouse Larochelle C., Uphaus T., et al. Nature Communications 2018 Feb 26;9(1):819. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03186-z
- Oncostatin M-induced astrocytic tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 drives remyelination Houben E., Janssens K. et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Mar 3;117(9):5028-5038. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1912910117
- Improving the efficacy of regulatory T cell therapy Baeten P., et al. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2021 Jul 5;1-19. doi.org/10.1007/s12016-021-08866-1
