A5075362321- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Cystic Fibrosis Research Advances
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Gut microbiota and health
- Spaceflight effects on biology
- Inhalation and Respiratory Drug Delivery
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- Pediatric health and respiratory diseases
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Nosocomial Infections in ICU
- Helicobacter pylori-related gastroenterology studies
- High Altitude and Hypoxia
- Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications
- Antibiotics Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy
- Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Infections and bacterial resistance
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
Ghent University
2016-2025
Ghent University Hospital
2021
Arizona State University
2008-2017
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
2008-2012
Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie
2008-2012
Belgian Nuclear Research Centre
2008-2010
Background Chronic airway inflammation is the main driver of pathogenesis in respiratory diseases such as severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis (CF) and bronchiectasis. While role common pathogens widely recognised, influence other microbiota members still poorly understood. Methods We hypothesised that lung contains bacteria with immunomodulatory activity which modulate net levels immune activation by key pathogens. Therefore, we assessed effect several...
Assessing bacterial behavior in microgravity is important for risk assessment and prevention of infectious diseases during spaceflight missions. Furthermore, this research field allows the unveiling novel connections between low-fluid-shear regions encountered by pathogens their natural infection process virulence. This study first to characterize spaceflight-induced global transcriptional proteomic responses Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen that present space habitat. P....
The spaceflight environment is relevant to conditions encountered by pathogens during the course of infection and induces novel changes in microbial pathogenesis not observed using conventional methods. It unclear how cells sense spaceflight-associated their growth orchestrate corresponding molecular physiological phenotypes process. Here we report that spaceflight-induced increases Salmonella virulence are regulated media ion composition, phosphate sufficient alter related responses a...
Background Small colony variants (SCVs) are slow-growing bacteria, which often show increased resistance to antibiotics and cause latent or recurrent infections. It is therefore important understand the mechanisms at basis of this phenotypic switch. Methodology/Principal Findings One SCV (termed PAO-SCV) was isolated, showing high gentamicin cephalosporine cefotaxime. PAO-SCV prone reversion as evidenced by emergence large colonies with a frequency 10−5 on media without while it stably...
As one of the major pathogens in wound infections, Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces several virulence factors and forms biofilms; these processes are under regulation various quorum sensing (QS) systems. Therefore, QS has been regarded as a promising target to treat P. infections. In present study, we evaluated effect plant-derived inhibitor coumarin on biofilms virulence. Coumarin inhibited QSIS2 biosensor strain, reduced protease pyocyanin production, biofilm formation microtiter plates...
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a prominent cystic fibrosis (CF) pathogen that uses quorum sensing (QS) to regulate virulence. In laboratory strains, the key QS regulator LasR. Many isolates from patients with chronic CF infections appear use an alternate circuitry in which another transcriptional regulator, RhlR, mediates QS. We show LasR-null clinical isolate engages through RhlR and remains capable of inducing cell death vivo- like lung epithelium model. Our findings support notion can engage...
Chronic wound management is extremely challenging because of the persistence biofilm-forming pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which are prevailing bacterial species that co-infect chronic wounds. Phage therapy has gained an increased interest to treat biofilm-associated infections, namely when combined with antibiotics. Here, we tested effect gentamicin a co-adjuvant phages in dual species-biofilm model formed on artificial dermis. The biofilm-killing...
Summary The biofilm phenotype of Pseudomonas aeruginosa enables this opportunistic pathogen to develop resistance the immune system and antimicrobial agents. biofilms are generated under varying levels shear stress, depending on infection site. In lung mucus cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, P. forms matrix‐enclosed microcolonies which cause chronic infections representing major mortality in CF patients. patients is probably characterized by low fluid as main shear‐causing factor, i.e....
As a ubiquitous environmental organism that is occasionally part of the human flora, Pseudomonas aeruginosa could pose health hazard for immunocompromised astronauts during long-term missions. Therefore, insights into behaviour P. under spaceflight conditions were gained using two spaceflight-analogue culture systems: rotating wall vessel (RWV) and random position machine (RPM). Microarray analysis PAO1 grown in low shear modelled microgravity (LSMMG) environment RWV, compared with normal...
This study presents the first global transcriptional profiling and phenotypic characterization of major human opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans, grown in spaceflight conditions. Microarray analysis revealed that C. albicans subjected to short-term culture differentially regulated 452 genes compared synchronous ground controls, which represented 8.3% analyzed ORFs. Spaceflight-cultured albicans-induced involved cell aggregation (similar flocculation), was validated by...
Abstract In vitro models that mimic in vivo host-pathogen interactions are needed to evaluate candidate drugs inhibit bacterial virulence traits. We established a new approach study Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm susceptibility on biotic surfaces, using three-dimensional (3-D) lung epithelial cell model. P. formed antibiotic resistant biofilms 3-D cells without affecting viability. The biofilm-inhibitory activity of antibiotics and/or the anti-biofilm peptide DJK-5 were evaluated compared...
Strategies are needed to improve repopulation of decellularized lung scaffolds with stromal and functional epithelial cells. We demonstrate that mouse lungs recellularized in a dynamic low fluid shear suspension bioreactor, termed the rotating wall vessel (RWV), contained more cells decreased apoptosis, increased proliferation enhanced levels total RNA compared static recellularization conditions. These results were observed two relevant cell types: bone marrow-derived mesenchymal (stem)...
Antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial pathogens is typically evaluated using in vitro assays that do not consider the complex host microenvironment. This may help explaining a significant discrepancy between antibiotic efficacy and vivo, with some antibiotics being effective but vivo or vice versa. Nevertheless, it well-known bacteria driven by environmental factors. Lung epithelial cells enhance activity aminoglycoside against opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, yet mechanism...
Patients with chronic lung disease suffer from persistent inflammation and are typically colonized by pro-inflammatory pathogenic bacteria. Besides these pathogens, a wide variety of commensal species is present in the lower airways but their role unclear. Here, we show that microbiota contains several able to inhibit activation NF-κB pathway production interleukin 8 (IL-8), triggered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or H 2 O , physiologically relevant three-dimensional (3D) epithelial cell model....
The delivery of RNA across biological barriers can be achieved by encapsulation in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) are pharmacologically diverse compounds with ionizable lipid-like features. In this work, we applied CADs as a fifth component state-of-the-art LNPs via microfluidic mixing. Improved cytosolic both siRNA and mRNA was partly replacing the cholesterol fraction CADs. could cross mucus layer mucus-producing air-liquid interface model human primary...
A recent workshop titled "Developing Models to Study Polymicrobial Infections," sponsored by the Dartmouth Cystic Fibrosis Center (DartCF), explored development of new models study polymicrobial infections associated with airways persons cystic fibrosis (CF). The gathered 35+ investigators over two virtual sessions. Here, we present findings this workshop, summarize some challenges involved developing such models, and suggest three frameworks tackle complex problem. proposed here, believe,...
Some Cutibacterium acnes subgroups dominate on healthy skin, whereas others are frequently acne associated. Here we provide mechanistic insights into this difference, using an anaerobic keratinocyte-sebocyte-C. co-culture model. An acneic C. strain as well its porphyrins activates NRLP3 inflammasome assembly, was not observed with a non-acneic strain. Low levels of intracellular K+ in keratinocytes stimulated extracted or infected the were observed, identifying porphyrin-induced leakage...
The probiotic effects of Lactobacillus reuteri have been speculated to partly depend on its capacity produce the antimicrobial substance reuterin during reduction glycerol in gut. In this study, potential process protect human intestinal epithelial cells against infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was investigated. We used a three-dimensional (3-D) organotypic model colonic epithelium that previously validated and applied study interactions between S. lead enteric...
In young cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, Staphylococcus aureus is typically the most prevalent organism, while in adults, Pseudomonas aeruginosa major pathogen. More recently, it was observed that also Streptococcus anginosus plays an important role exacerbations of respiratory symptoms. These species are often coisolated from CF lungs, yet little known about whether antibiotic killing one influenced by presence others. present study, we compared activities various antibiotics against S....