actualités 2024

VUB Research Team Presents Innovative Local Treatment for Osteolytic Bone Disease in Multiple Myeloma A team of researchers from the Translational Oncology Research Centre (TORC) of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in collaboration with leading German universities, has developed a new biomaterial with high potential in in the treatment of bone lesions or minimal residual disease in multiple myeloma patients.

A team of international scientists has unveiled groundbreaking research on the origins of lunar water, offering insights that could reshape our understanding of the Earth-Moon system and the broader solar system. The pioneering study explores the isotopic signatures of lunar water, revealing a mix of indigenous and cometary sources.

An international team of archaeologists, including researchers from the VUB, has analyzed more than 3,000 human bones and bone fragments from the Charterhouse Warren site in England, a location dated to the Early Bronze Age. The site represents the first evidence from the Bronze Age of a human massacre carried out by another hostile group, with indications of cannibalism.

Study uncovers the early immune responses that make insect venom immunotherapy the gold standard for curing severe allergies, offering hope for improving treatments worldwide. In a landmark clinical study just published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg, the Allergy Center Wiesbaden, Ulm University Hospital and Vrije Universiteit Brussels and UZ Brussel revealed the early immune mechanisms behind the exceptional success of insect venom immunotherapy.

In a surprising discovery, researchers have found evidence of an African intestinal parasite in a 500-year-old cesspit in Bruges. The find offers valuable insights into how diseases spread in the past. The research, a collaboration between Canada's McMaster University and Ghent University, shows how migration and trade contributed to the spread of infectious diseases such as schistosomiasis.

VUB Researchers Wear Purple on World Pancreatic Cancer Day to Raise Awareness About Deadly Disease Brussels, November 21, 2024 - Today marks World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

Glaciers worldwide are shrinking at alarming rates, with dramatic implications for sea-level rise, water availability, biodiversity, and the stability of natural ecosystems.

Ida Anna Cappello, a researcher at the Heart Rhythm Management Center at the University Hospital Brussels (VUB), developed biomedical technology with patient-specific, 3D printed surgical templates for cardiovascular procedures. Working closely with cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, Cappello's work holds great promise for significantly improving precision in complex cardiac surgeries.

KU Leuven team discovers that resistance to one antifungal medicine increases the efficacy of a different antifungal medicine Because Candida auris can easily develop resistance and because there is a limited range of antifungal medicine available, doctors are often faced with having exhausted all treatment options.

In a recent publication in *Nature Reviews Neuroscience*, Professor Frank Van Overwalle, from the Brain, Body and Cognition research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), sheds light on the often-overlooked role of the cerebellum in both motor and social-cognitive processes. His research contributes to a growing shift in the field of neuroscience, which has traditionally focused on the cerebrum.

Researchers reveal global increase in burnt area due to climate change despite human interventions A new international study, led by a team of scientists from the UK and Belgium, has revealed that climate change is contributing to an increase in burnt area worldwide, despite human interventions trying to temper this trend.

A new study published in Nature Geoscience by an international team of scientists provides new insights into the natural mechanisms behind century-scale increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), known as CO2 jumps. The study, led by Etienne Legrain, paleoclimatologist at the Department of Water and Climate at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Glaciology Laboratory of the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Environmental Geosciences Institute of Université Grenoble-Alpes provides findings based on high-resolution measurements from Antarctic ice cores.

A recent publication by Professor Erik Cattrysse of the Experimental Anatomy research group at the Free University of Brussels and colleagues, highlights the benefits of direct access to physical therapy. The study, based on a scoping review of international literature, suggests that direct access to physical therapists offers benefits not only to patients but also to the broader health care system.

Dr. Barbara Gravel of the AI Laboratory at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), has developed innovative bioinformatics techniques that shed new light on the genetic causes of complex diseases. Her PhD research focused on understanding how combinations of genetic variants, rather than single mutations, contribute to conditions such as cardiac disorders, hearing loss, visual impairment, and male infertility.

Sleep apnoea, a condition marked by pauses in breathing during sleep, affects millions of people worldwide, leading to severe health risks, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Traditionally, diagnosing this condition requires an overnight stay at a clinic for polysomnography (PSG) tests, which are costly, complex, and uncomfortable as they involve attaching multiple sensors to the body, making it difficult to sleep naturally.

A research team led by Professor Claudia Spits at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) has made significant strides in understanding and improving the safety of stem cell therapies. Stem cells hold immense potential to repair damaged tissues due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types.

VUB research on immunotherapy for multiple myeloma establishes baseline for improved long-term success Dr. Heleen Hanssens from the Molecular Imaging and Therapy (MITH) Research Group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) has conducted research on the application of CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer that remains considered incurable.

The Whitehouse Gallery in Brussels this week opens a unique exhibition of work by artist Isabel Fredeus, which innovatively merges science and art. The exhibition is the result of a year-long collaboration between Fredeus and Elise Elsacker of the microbiology research group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

Since the 1990s, the European Union has worked intensively with non-EU countries to discourage irregular migration and promote the return of irregular migrants. Despite years of efforts, recent research shows that migrant deterrent campaigns have little effect, and that deportations of irregular migrants are not as easy to drive up as politicians may suggest.

Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime. The phenomenon can be compared to ripples on a sheet when a heavy ball is placed on it and spun around. In the universe, these "balls" are massive objects such as black holes and neutron stars, which vibrate spacetime as they orbit and eventually merge. These gravitational waves are emitted through space and, although very subtle, can be detected on Earth with the correct equipment.