news 2021

From abdominal pain after eating certain foods to experimental hearing implants: in this overview, we present the most-read news items about research at KU Leuven in 2021. KU Leuven develops very potent antiviral against dengue 6 October Researchers have developed an inhibitor of the dengue virus. The antiviral molecule is effective against all known dengue variants and could be used for therapeutic and prevention purposes.

The coronavirus pandemic has the world in its grip. Worldwide, more than 265 million cases of Covid-19 have been registered, and more than 5.2 million people have died from it. About 14% of people infected with Covid-19 end up in hospital and some require intensive care. These patients face lung problems, neurological disorders, reduced physical capacity, muscle weakness and psychological and cognitive impairment.

It's estimated that half of the adult population worldwide snores, with or without dangerous interruptions of breathing and related health risks such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, fatigue and concentration problems.

KU Leuven presents 7 reports that scrutinise various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic What are the socio-economic and psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures to control it?

VUB-researchers identify for the first time interglobular dentine in cremated human teeth The cremation process destroys a lot of information that can usually be obtained from the human skeleton. Especially diseases are difficult to observe. This has caused a paucity in our knowledge of the disease load in populations that practiced cremation as their main funerary ritual.

Researchers at the KU Leuven Rega Institute and CD3 have developed an ultrapotent inhibitor of the dengue virus, which causes the tropical disease known as dengue.

Coconut trees grow slowly and are difficult to clone. Scientists at KU Leuven and the Alliance multiplied seedlings faster and conserved coconut genetic resources for the long term. Coconut trees grow slowly and are difficult to clone. Scientists at KU Leuven and the Alliance have developed a method to multiply seedlings faster and conserve coconut genetic resources for the long term.

Healthy pancreas contains cells similar to most aggressive tumour cells, study finds Wednesday, August 11, 2021 — A team of researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the UZ Brussel and elsewhere in Belgium and abroad, led by VUB professor Ilse Rooman, have discovered a cell in the pancreas of healthy people that is very similar to the most aggressive pancreatic cancer cells.

IN BRIEF: University of Louvain (UCLouvain) scientists have identified destructured segments, still unexplored to date , in proteins necessary for the life of bacteria The result? These segments, shaped like soft spaghetti , are essential for the life of bacteria This discovery, published in the prestigious scientific , contributes to the search for new antibiotic treatments ARTICLE: Bacteria are increasingly resistant , especially to antibiotics, which is a major global health problem.

KU Leuven researchers have revealed the importance of a newly identified mechanism of kidney transplant rejection. These results could increase the chances of a successful transplantation in the future. Each year, about 500 people in our country undergo a kidney transplant. 15 to 20% of these patients experience rejection symptoms.

Some antibiotics appear to be effective against a form of skin cancer known as melanoma. KU Leuven researchers examined the effect of these antibiotics on patient-derived tumours in mice. Some antibiotics appear to be effective against a form of skin cancer known as melanoma. KU Leuven researchers examined the effect of these antibiotics on patient-derived tumours in mice.

More than half of the COVID-19 strains that were circulating in the late summer of 2020 in Europe were only introduced after 15 June.

A study involving virtual instead of real patients was as effective as traditional clinical trials in evaluating a medical device used to treat brain aneurysms, according to researchers from the University of Leeds and KU Leuven. Furthermore, the 'virtual' approach required far less time and money. A study involving virtual instead of real patients was as effective as traditional clinical trials in evaluating a medical device used to treat brain aneurysms, according to researchers from the University of Leeds and KU Leuven.

Successful pilot project to tackle discrimination 13 June is International Albinism Awareness Day One in 1,400 people in Tanzania has albinism. These people are often socially excluded, heavily discriminated against and sometimes even have to fear for their lives. Dr Tjitske de Groot of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel set up a pilot project for her doctoral research and investigated what actions and means could be used to reduce the stigma of albinism - as well as other stigma - and actively contributed to this on site.

In brief: A research team from University of Louvain (UCLouvain) has discovered a new bacterium in the human intestine.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 — The annual World Hypertension Day on 17 May prompted the publication of a review article on hypertension that appears today in the leading journal The Lancet. In this article, Prof Sofie Brouwers, OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and her colleagues present the current state of affairs regarding arterial hypertension.

Researchers at KU Leuven have developed a 3D printing technique that extends the possibilities of lateral flow testing. With the new printing technique, advanced diagnostic tests can be produced that are quick, cheap, and easy to use. Researchers at KU Leuven have developed a 3D printing technique that extends the possibilities of lateral flow testing.

Monday, May 3, 2021 — During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Belgium experienced significant excess mortality. The federal statistics office Statbel recorded 30,014 deaths between 9 March and 17 May 2020. That was 8,808 more than the average for the three previous years in the same weeks.

During the pollen season, many people with allergies tend to avoid nature. That isn't entirely justified, a new KU Leuven study into biodiversity and health suggests. During the pollen season, many people with allergies tend to avoid nature. That isn't entirely justified, a new KU Leuven study into biodiversity and health suggests.

Monday, April 26, 2021 — Within the academic world, international exchange students and researchers have been particularly affected by the pandemic. In an opinion article in the journal Ethnobiology and Conservation, Farid Dahdouh-Guebas of the Biology Department of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ina Vandebroek of the New York Botanical Garden defend this group and propose some solutions.