Development of Llama antibody therapies for treatment of chronic and acute diseases

Research on early diagnostics and new treatment options for chronic diseases

Development of early diagnostics for osteoarthritis

Research on early diagnostics and new treatment options for osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease affecting millions worldwide. The disease has many phenotypes, but a strong risk factor is a history of trauma in the affected joint. Early stage monitoring and treatment of these patients might be able to slow of avoid the development of this disease. However no minimal-invasive technique is currently available that is capable of diagnosing this early stage.When the joint is affected the homeostasis of the tissue will change. This leads to an altered metabolism and possible inflammation. The synovial fluid is in contact with all joint tissues and has an important messenger function. It is therefore likely that changes in joint homeostasis leads to altered marker concentrations in this fluid. With a needle small volumes can be extracted minimal invasively. The subsequent analysis of the marker concentration is a potentially powerful tool for early stage diagnosis and prognosis.The goals of this PhD track are two-fold. First a sensitive lab-on-chip based system will be developed with which a large array of markers can be detected sensitively and selectively in trace concentrations at low costs. When a reliable system has been developed and validated, the second phase of the project will start. Here a database of marker profiles of healthy and diseased synovial fluid will be created as a benchmarking tool. Patient profiles can be compared with this benchmark for diagnosis, prognosis and potentially even treatment.

Support students in numerous practical courses

To support secondary school students with homework planning, exam training and to provide guidance to help them understand their courses.

Research on in situ gelating hydrogels for adipose tissue engineering in reconstructive surgery