Your brain, cell by cell
Study of VIB, KU Leuven and UZ Leuven examines brain tissue that was necessarily removed during surgery.
Why is brain research necessary?
Thanks to extensive research, we can detect diseases with increasing precision, and we have treatments that previous generations couldn't dream of. However, there is still room for improvement, especially when it comes to brain disorders. These conditions are often difficult or even impossible to treat, and have a major impact on patients and their loved ones. In 2004, an estimated 2.9 million Belgians were living with a brain disorder, costing Belgium around 10.6 billion euros annually.
How do we investigate the brain, and what is this study about?
The brain is a complex organ in which different types of cells make billions of connections with each other. Researchers study its function in the laboratory using brain tissue from deceased patients, cells in a dish and – if there is no other option – laboratory animals. But living human brain tissue is far more complex than these materials studied in the laboratory. “Fresh” brain tissue, which we can analyze cell by cell, is therefore invaluable for brain research. It is also difficult to obtain, because brain tissue is of course never taken from a patient without a good therapeutic reason. That is why we started this study. We ask people who, for example because of epilepsy, undergo brain surgery in which a piece of brain tissue needs to be removed, whether they are willing to donate this piece of tissue for scientific research. In this way we hope to gain a better understanding of the brain and various brain diseases.
Who are we and what do we do?
These researchers work with the brain tissue of patients who participate in this study.
Bart & Renzo
Prof. Bart De Strooper and Prof. Renzo Mancuso are experts in the field of Alzheimer's disease. In this disease, nerve cells in the brain die, which eventually leads to dementia. To treat Alzheimer's disease, scientists used to focus mainly on these nerve cells themselves, in order to prevent or repair the damage. After many years of research, much more is now known about Alzheimer's disease, but there is still no cure. Therefore, new aspects of the disease are now being investigated. Bart and Renzo are interested in the role that the immune cells of the brain play in this disease. These immune cells can protect nerve cells, but their overreaction can become harmful in some cases, especially in the long term. Bart and Renzo try to understand these different reactions and their implications for brain health.
Research results
Nature Neuroscience paper Mancuso et al. 2019
Pierre & Joris
Prof. Pierre Vanderhaeghen and Prof. Joris de Wit are interested in the development and structure of the brain, and how different cells are in contact and communicate with each other. They use microscopy to examine how the brain tissue is constructed. They also study the electrical activity of the brain cells, which can reveal how they function. With this knowledge, they hope to gain more insight into the development and organization of the brain, and how disruptions in these delicate processes can lead to conditions such as epilepsy, autism and mental illness.
Sarah
Prof. Sarah Weckhuysen is looking for the genetic causes of epilepsy, a disease that affects fifty million people worldwide. Epilepsy manifests itself in seizures, caused by abnormal activity of the brain cells. If we know which genes are important for this, we can better understand the disease, and perhaps cure it in the future. There are already mutations in more than 200 different genes linked to epilepsy. Mutations can be inherited from the parents, but they can also arise spontaneously during brain development. These rare, non-hereditary mutations are difficult to detect, because they are only found in the brain and not elsewhere in the body, such as in the blood. To find these mutations, we therefore need brain tissue from patients with epilepsy. By examining this brain tissue, Sarah's team can dig deeper into the causes of epilepsy than ever before.
Adrian
Prof. Adrian Liston studies the immune system. It was long thought that immune cells typical of the blood are not present in the brain, but it is now clear that this distinction is not so strict. Adrian and his colleagues showed that some white blood cells can also be located in the brain, where they affect the brain's local immune cells. Adrian continues to explore this new role of the immune system, studying the effect of the presence of these cells on brain function, especially memory.
Research results
Cell paper Pasciuto et al. 2020
News item The Science Breaker
This study is coordinated by neurosurgeon prof. dr. Tom Theys, MD.
You may contact him with questions or concerns.
How do we protect your privacy?
Like you, we believe it is essential that your privacy is protected during this research. That is why we take appropriate measures. For example, immediately after collection the sample you donate is linked to a code, so that your name cannot be associated with the results of the studies. Only your surgeon can know that you are the person behind this code, not the researchers. We also only collect and handle personal information that is relevant to the study, such as age and gender. This encrypted information can be included in scientific publications, where your anonymity is always ensured.
Our research was approved by the Ethics Committee of UZ Leuven, which monitors the responsible handling of samples and the privacy of the participants.
More information
Here you can find more information about participating in a clinical study at UZ Leuven.