Center for Molecular Medicine
History
Welcome to the website of Molecular Medicine. Our Division is located at the fifth floor of the VCTB building of St. Rafael Hospital, Kapucijnenvoer 33, Leuven, Flanders
Molecular Medicine is composed of the Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy and the Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy headed respectively by Prof. Zeger Debyser and Prof. Veerle Baekelandt. In 2005, the Division of Molecular Medicine was created in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine. In 2012 the unit became an interdisciplinary center housing the two research laboratories.
Close collaborations exist with the laboratory for Biomolecular Dynamics within the K.U.Leuven (Prof. Yves Engelborghs, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Prof. Marc De Maeyer, biomolecular modelling, Prof. Steven De Feyter, photochemistry and spectroscopy), with the Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL) (Prof. Catherine Verfaillie), with the Centre for Molecular and Vascular Biology (Prof. Kathleen Freson and Prof. Chris Van Geet), with the Department of Woman & Child (Prof. Jan Deprest, Prof. Chris Van Geet), with the Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3)/CISTIM (Dr. Chaltin), with the Pharmacy lab for Biocrystallography (Prof. Sergei Strelkov), with the MoSAIC concerning the Imaging Center of UZ-K.U.Leuven and In vivo morphological, functional and molecular imaging of small animal models (Prof. L. Mortelmans, Prof. K. Van Laere, Prof. Frederik Maes), with the Laboratory of Functional Biology (Prof. Joris Winderickx) with the Subfaculty of Medicine Campus Kortrijk , (Prof. Geert Callewaert) and the Interdisciplinary Research Centre Kortrijk (Prof. Zeger Debyser)
Research interest and scope
Each participating laboratory has its own specific technology platform. The research laboratory of Prof. Zeger Debyser is specialised in the development of lentiviral vectors, a basic tool for gene transfer and gene therapy. This technology can be applied for treatment and disease modelling of neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease), the research topic of Prof. Veerle Baekelandt. Lentiviral vector technology is primarily based on the genetic properties of HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that causes AIDS. The laboratory of Professor Zeger Debyser focuses on the virology and the cell biology of HIV integration and the development of new inhibitors and inhibitory strategies for AIDS.