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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

From solid to "liquid", how skin regenerates after a wound - Researchers at the Free University of Brussels have discovered that wound healing relies on a change in the physical properties of the skin. The ability to repair tissue following injury is essential to the survival of animals. Following a wound, the skin repairs itself through the activation, migration and division of skin stem cells.

New KU Leuven research shows that the risk of contracting schistosomiasis, an infectious disease caused by a parasitic flatworm, will increase considerably over the next century.

The brain contains many cell types, from the prominent neurons to the lesser-known microglia. The latter are integral to the brain's immune system and play a crucial role as the brain's cleanup crew. A recent study conducted by researchers from the University Hospital Bonn and the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg, in collaboration with colleagues from France, Hungary, and Germany, highlights that microglia establish connections with neurons through tunnelling nanotubes.

Chronic pain is one of the most challenging problems facing society. It has a significant impact on the daily lives of 23% of the population, and the care given to patients experiencing persistent pain is often not appropriate. The Pain in Motion research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) focuses on improving healthcare providers' understanding and treatment of persistent pain.

Early in the pandemic, scientists at the University of Luxembourg started to use their expertise to better understand the virus, its acute symptoms and longer-term consequences, and find effective responses against its propagation. Even if the crisis has passed, researchers are still investigating different aspects of the disease.

Scientists at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), led by Prof. Friedhelm C. Hummel and post-doctoral fellow Pierre Vassiliadis (EPFL and UCLouvain Institute of Neuroscience), have successfully tested a new technique enabling deep stimulation of the human brain, without surgery or implants, for potential therapeutic purposes.

An interdisciplinary team from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg, together with international collaborators, established that a combination of small variations in genes regulating mitochondria, an important component of human cells, is associated with a higher risk for Parkinson's disease.

A ULB study reveals a new advance in our understanding of the immune system of the naked mole rat, opening up prospects for cellular immunotherapy of cancer . During the development of cancer, the immune system is able to exert antitumor activity thanks to natural killer (NK) cells and T lymphocytes.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide with around 59 million people concerned in 2019 . This irregular heartbeat is associated with increased risks of heart failure, dementia and stroke. It constitutes a significant burden to healthcare systems, making its early detection and treatment a major goal.

A ULB team has discovered how blood vessels in the brain are formed and how they differ from other vessels in the body. A major breakthrough that could lead to new therapeutic approaches . Cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction and stroke, is the world's leading cause of death, claiming around 18 million lives a year.