Study on changes in lipids in the blood of Alzheimer patients. Click to see: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/news/pilar-martinez-wins-first-weston-grant-um
Actelion - Study on rare metabolic causes of psychoses and possible role of ceramide and glycolipidal biomarkers.
Interreg-EURLipids – Establishing a lipid profile in neurological diseases.
Apellis Pharmaceuticals - By inhibiting the neonatal Fc receptor using an antibody fragment, the total IgG can be safely reduced in circulation and ameliorate disease symptoms and autoantibody titers. We are looking at standardizing an animal model for experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) to study these interactions in mice using motor function tests, electrophysiology and disease scoring. The complement cascade is part of the innate and adaptive immune system, defending the organism by recognizing & eliminating pathogens and damaged cells. Once activated, the cascade will subsequently lead to the production of membrane attack complexes; a structure that invades the cell membrane of the target and induces cell lysis. In acetylcholine receptor related Myasthenia Gravis (AChR-MG) the activation of the complement system is known to play a detrimental role in the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease. Auto-antibodies targeting the AChR induce the classical pathway of the complement cascade, resulting in destruction of healthy tissue via the membrane attack complex and subsequently worsening the disease symptoms. We are delighted to have a collaboration with Apellis Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company specialized in the development of complement protein inhibitors. With combined expertise we perform thrilling in vitro and in vivo research to investigate the effects of central complement protein inhibitors in AChR-MG. We hypothesize that controlling the complement activation in AChR-MG on a central level of the cascade promises a mitigation of myasthenic symptoms and improvement in the currently existing treatment options.
ArgenX - The neonatal Fc receptor has become of great interest due to its ability to prolong immunoglobulin G (IgG) in circulation by increasing their half-life. Establishing and utilising animal models for different autoimmune diseases, mediated by this specific class of Ig, allows us to investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting the neonatal Fc receptor.
