Confo Therapeutics receives €1.7 million VLAIO grant for further research on GPCR modulators for rare diseases

Antwerp, 12 March 2026 - Researchers at VIB and Antwerp University have identified a major genetic risk factor for a rare form of frontotemporal dementia. The discovery, published today in Nature Genetics, provides a biological entry point for a disease subtype that has been difficult to study. It could not only help to improve diagnosis and patient stratification, but also opens up new avenues toward targeted treatments.

Ghent (Belgium), 11 March 2026 – Protealis, the European specialist in non-GMO legume seeds and seed technologies, today announces several milestones that significantly strengthen its position in a fast-growing European soybean market. The company has obtained European regulatory approval from EFCI1 (EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) 2019/1009) for MagNfix™, its first biological solution, which is a proprietary soybean inoculant seed coating that is designed to support higher soybean yield and protein content. In addition, Protealis has secured the registration of five new soybean varieties across four European countries. This includes the introduction of two new maturity group (MG) 000 soybean varieties in Poland, the registration of its first maturity group 0000 ultra-early soybean variety in France, and a new soy variety registration for Belgium. In Germany, Protealis received registration for its second 00 MG soybean variety suited for the regions in southern Germany...

A new study led by researchers from VIB and KU Leuven shows that immune cells called microglia can actively promote the formation of plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, challenging the long-standing view that these cells serve only as defenders against plaque buildup. The findings were recently published in PNAS.