Structure and Organization
The Department of Molecular and Cellular
Medicine (MCM), Faculty of Medicine, of the University of Leuven
(Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), comprises the Molecular and Cardiovascular
Medicine
Group
and the
Division of Molecular Medicine.
Molecular and Cardiovascular Medicine Group
This Group (director:
Roger Lijnen), consists of three research laboratories:
-
Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology (CMVB),
adjunct director: Roger
Lijnen
-
Vesalius Research Center
(VRC) of the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology
(VIB), adjunct
director:
Peter Carmeliet
These entities share 3,600 m2 of the 9th floor of
the Teaching and Research Building. This 9th floor, which was built
with
the support
of the D. Collen Research Foundation, V.Z.W., consists
of fully equipped research laboratories, a 600 m2 animalium
for SPF
mice (M. Verstraete
Specific Pathogen Free facility), and 4 P2 biohazard
safety suites. The CMVB and VRC work in close proximity, sharing
laboratory space
and equipment, but are identified and defined by their
respective research
projects and personnel. The personnel of Thromb-X, N.V.,
are housed in rented laboratory space provided by the
D.
Collen
Research Foundation,
V.Z.W.
The research of the CMVB focuses on fibrinolysis,
hemostasis-thrombosis, extracellular proteolysis,
atherosclerosis, obesity, immunotherapy, angiogenesis,
and neuro-muscular and cardiopulmonary disorders. The research is
financed
by “Interuniversitaire
Attractiepolen”, “Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk
Onderzoek-Vlaanderen” ,
the European Union, "Geconcerteerde Onderzoeksacties", "Bijzonder
Onderzoeksfonds KULeuven" and contracts with industrial
partners. The research team of the CMVB presently consists
of 51 academic,
scientific, undergraduate and technical staff,
in addition
to
9 hospital laboratory technical staff.
The research
of the VRC focuses on gene manipulation
and gene
transfer
applications.
The research is financed by a major grant (“dotatie”)
from the Flemish Government, and by grants from “The
Fifth Framework of the EU”, “Geconcerteerde
Onderzoeksacties”, "Fonds
voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek-Vlaanderen”, “Vlaams
Instituut voor de bevordering van het Wetenschappelijk-Technologisch
Onderzoek in de Industrie (IWT)”, "Interuniversitaire
Attractiepolen", "Klinisch Onderzoeksfonds
UZ Gasthuisberg", "Bijzonder
Onderzoeksfonds", "Muscular Dystrophy Association
USA", "IIRP-Switzerland", "NIH", "Leerstoel
Astra-Zeneca", "Bristol-Meyers Squibb foundation", "Fonds
Alphonse en Jean Forton", "Koning Boudewijnstichting", "the
American Health Association", “the ALS
Association” and
contracts with industry. The research team of the
VRC presently comprises 77 scientific, undergraduate
and
technical staff.
The Molecular and Cardiovascular Medicine Group
also has 8 administrative
staff and
a logistic
core of
19.
Within the Group, a significant effort is invested
in the operation of core
facilities (e.g. SPF
animal care, homologous
recombination
in embryonic stem cells, zygote injection, genotyping
of mice, experimental animal models for cardiovascular
and
neurological phenotypes, zebrafish
technology, Xenopus facility etc.) which are
shared by all investigators, and are also available
for
external collaborators.
Division of Molecular Medicine
The division
of Molecular Medicine is a research
group consisting of two laboratories:
-
Laboratory of Molecular Virology and
Gene Therapy, head: Zeger Debyser
-
Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene
Therapy, head: Veerle Baekelandt
Additional collaborations exist with the Laboratory for Biomolecular
Dynamics (KULeuven) (Yves Engelborghs) and the Imaging Center (UZ-KULeuven)
(Luc Mortelmans).
Each participating laboratory has its own specific technology platform.
The research laboratory of Zeger Debyser is specialized in the development
of lentiviral vectors, a basic tool for gene transfer and gene therapy.
This technology can be applied for treatment and modeling of neurodegenerative
diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease), the research topic
of Veerle Baekelandt. Lentiviral vector technology is primarily based
on the genetic properties of HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus
that causes AIDS. The laboratory of Zeger Debyser focus on different
aspects of HIV integration and the development of new inhibitors and
inhibitory strategies for AIDS.
The personnel employed by the Division of Molecular Medicine presently
comprises approximately 35 scientific and technical staff.
