VIB’s core mission is to generate disruptive insights in the molecular underpinning of life and to translate these actively into impactful innovations for patients and society. VIB is an independent research institute where some 1,800 top scientists from Belgium and abroad conduct pioneering basic research. As such, they are pushing the boundaries of what we know about molecular mechanisms and how they rule living organisms such as human beings, animals, plants, and microorganisms. Based on a close partnership with five Flemish universities – Ghent University, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Hasselt University – and supported by a solid funding program, VIB unites the expertise of all its collaborators and research groups in a single institute. VIB’s technology transfer activities translate research results into concrete benefits for society such as new diagnostics and therapies and agricultural innovations. These applications are often developed by young start-ups from VIB or through collaborations with other companies. This also leads to additional employment and bridges the gap between scientific research and entrepreneurship. VIB also engages actively in the public debate on biotechnology by developing and disseminating a wide range of science-based information. More info can be found on www.vib.be.

VIB’s core mission is to generate disruptive insights in the molecular underpinning of life and to translate these actively into impactful...

Explore the fascinating science of the brain

Het is de kerntaak van VIB om baanbrekende inzichten te genereren in de moleculaire onderbouwing van het leven en deze actief te vertalen naar impactvolle innovaties voor patiënten en de maatschappij. VIB is een onafhankelijk onderzoeksinstituut waar zo'n 1.800 topwetenschappers uit binnen- en buitenland baanbrekend fundamenteel onderzoek verrichten. In die hoedanigheid verleggen ze de grenzen van wat we weten over moleculaire mechanismen en hoe die levende organismen zoals mensen, dieren, planten en micro-organismen beheersen. Op basis van een nauw partnerschap met vijf Vlaamse universiteiten - Universiteit Gent, KU Leuven, Universiteit Antwerpen, Vrije Universiteit Brussel en Universiteit Hasselt - en ondersteund door een sterk financieringsprogramma, verenigt VIB de expertise van al haar medewerkers en onderzoeksgroepen in één enkel instituut. Via technologietransfer  vertaalt VIB onderzoeksresultaten naar concrete toepassingen voor de maatschappij, zoals nieuwe diagnostica, geneesmiddelen en innovaties in de landbouw. Deze toepassingen worden vaak ontwikkeld door jonge startups van VIB of door samenwerkingen met andere bedrijven. Dit leidt ook tot extra werkgelegenheid en overbrugt de kloof tussen wetenschappelijk onderzoek en ondernemerschap. VIB neemt ook actief deel aan het publieke debat over biotechnologie door een brede waaier van wetenschappelijk onderbouwde informatie te ontwikkelen en te verspreiden. Meer info op www.vib.be.

Het is de kerntaak van VIB om baanbrekende inzichten te genereren in de moleculaire onderbouwing van het leven en deze actief te vertalen naar...

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Leuven, 25 May 2023 - Although millions of people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, there are still many unknowns about the underlying mechanisms of the disorder. In their latest research, scientists from the lab of Wim Annaert (VIB-KU Leuven) uncovered a piece of the mechanistic puzzle by showing how a gene variation in the neurons’ ‘garbage disposal’ system can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

How garbage disposal clogs in cells can lead to Alzheimer’s

Leuven, 25 May 2023 - Although millions of people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, there are still many unknowns about the underlying...

An MCH axon in the brain of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists shed light on a sleep peptide involved in Alzheimer’s

Targeting the aging brain’s immune system might restore its cognitive function

The key to a healthy aging brain

Leuven, 5 April – As people age, they often experience problems with their memory and cognitive abilities. This happens in part because their brains become mildly inflamed. But there may be a solution: a small group of special immune cells, called regulatory T cells, could help reduce this inflammation in aging brains. Administering a protein, interleukin-2 (IL2), can help these special T cells grow and prevent inflammation. Now, researchers at VIB, KU Leuven, Babraham Institute, and i3S have tested this approach in mice and found that it can prevent neurological decline. Their findings suggest that targeting the immune system might keep people’s brains healthy as they age.

Leuven, 23 March – Mutations in two proteins, called alpha-synuclein and tau, cause brain cell loss in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Some brain cells are more vulnerable to these proteins than others, but it was, until now, unclear whether this was due to the cell types’ intrinsic properties or because they produce more of these proteins. Now, the group of Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research) found evidence that some brain cells are more susceptible to disease-causing alpha-synuclein and tau. By studying which genes are involved in this vulnerability, the researchers hope to identify potential targets for therapies to treat these diseases.

Uncovering cell resilience in neurodegenerative diseases

Leuven, 23 March – Mutations in two proteins, called alpha-synuclein and tau, cause brain cell loss in patients with neurodegenerative diseases...

Linking actin bundling to Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

New protein function could explain cause of neurological disease

Banner image: Time-lapse image showing free actin filaments (left) gradually being organized into bundles and cables by the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase.

Targeting KRAS with Pept-ins™: a new therapeutic strategy for difficult-to-drug proteins

New study shows how protein aggregation can help fight cancer

Banner image: cancer-targeting Pept-ins™ ©Aelin Therapeutics

Astrocytes discovered to be critical in the abnormal immune response of ALS

New model identifies key player in ALS

hiPSC-derived astrocytes (red) cultured in a microfluidic device. Nuclei are labeled in blue. ©Katarina Stoklund Dittlau

Ludo Van Den Bosch wins the Generet Award for Rare Diseases

One million euros for research into motor neuron disease ALS

The Generet Award for Rare Diseases, now in its fifth year, has been awarded to Ludo Van Den Bosch for his research into the underlying mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a rare form of motor neuron disease. This award from the Generet Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, is accompanied by a grant of €1 million, making it the most prestigious prize in Belgium for work on rare diseases. The jury of independent experts praised Van Den Bosch's ambition to improve patients’ lives with ALS through his research.

Researchers discover a “cellular hourglass” that sets the tempo of brain development.

The secret of slow human brain growth

Leuven, 26 January – It takes several years for the human brain to develop fully, whereas this happens much faster in other species. The slow maturation of the human brain is thought to be important for its function, but it was unknown what caused this. Now, a team of researchers led by Ryohei Iwata, Pierre Casimir, and Pierre Vanderhaeghen (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research and ULB) found that the mitochondria, the energy factory in the brain cells, are responsible for the rate at which the brain develops. This discovery sheds light on human evolution and may have important implications for brain function and diseases. Their work was published in Science.

Newly found gene sheds light on human brain evolution

How did human brains get so large?

Leuven, 4 November - The team of Prof. Pierre Vanderhaeghen at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research and Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) discovered a gene that may have been essential for the expansion of human brain size during evolution. The CROCCP2 gene, previously thought to be inactive, is actually highly expressed in the human fetal brain and could be responsible for the diversity of cells in the brain. This discovery may have important implications for human evolution and disease.

Leuven research team found key proteins involved in the disease development of ALS and frontotemporal dementia that can become druggable targets

Possible therapeutic targets identified for ALS and frontotemporal dementia

Prof. Ludo Van Den Bosch and his group at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research investigate ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These devastating neurodegenerative diseases affect thousands in Belgium and have no effective treatment. The most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD is a mutation in the C9orf72 gene, but how this mutation leads to these conditions remains elusive. Now, the researchers identified key proteins, NEK6, HNRNPK and RRM2, that contribute to C9-related ALS and FTD. This opens up new therapeutic avenues for these disorders. Their results are published in high-impact journals Alzheimer's and Dementia:The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association and Acta Neuropathologica.

A new-and-improved technique to analyze bladder function in rodents shifts the paradigm

Zooming in on bladder issues 2.0

Last year, researchers at VIB and KU Leuven developed an innovative technique to monitor the urinary tract in rodents with unprecedented detail. Now, they made important improvements to the method by harnessing the power of machine learning to enable detailed, non-invasive analysis of bladder function in awake and freely moving mice. The new-and-improved technique can advance the search for causes and treatments of lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Neuroscience