The lab: Lambrecht & Hammad group
Lab's research themes:
Research in our group is focused on unraveling the functions of lung dendritic cells and epithelial cells in asthma and respiratory viral infection. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by eosinophilic airway inflammation, goblet cell metaplasia and bronchial hyperreactivity. A frequent cause of exacerbations is respiratory viral infection. There is an epidemic of asthma in the Western world, of which the cause in unclear, and for which novel forms of prevention and treatment are urgently needed. In allergic asthma, allergen-specific Th2 lymphocytes cause inflammation, as well as formation of allergen specific IgE, also known as allergic sensitization.
Merits of the lab:
In the past years, our lab has found crucial roles for antigen presenting dendritic cells (DCs) in causing allergic sensitization. Using the logic of Koch’s postulates, we have shown that DCs also play a crucial role also in maintenance of chronic airway inflammation.
First, we have found increased numbers of activated DCs in the airways of humans and mice with asthma. Next, repeated administrations of allergen-exposed DCs to the airways led to all typical features of asthma and even to long term airway remodeling, characteristic of chronic asthma.
Finally, and most importantly, the removal of DCs from the airways of mice with chronic ongoing inflammation cures all the features of the disease. These studies showed that targeting airway DCs could be a novel therapeutic intervention strategy. However, our studies have also mentioned the crucial role of DCs in the clearance of respiratory viruses. In an attempt to find novel pathways to interfere with the activation of DCs, and thus to come up with new therapeutic interventions that selectively target DCs without putting patients at risk for infection, research in the group is currently focusing on the way airway DCs get activated to cause allergic disease. In this respect, all models have recently centered around the real-life allergen house dust mite (HDM). Inhalation of HDM can only lead to asthma when airway epithelial cells are triggered through TLR4 and release endogenous danger signals such as ATP or uric acid and pro-Th2 innate cytokines like IL1, IL25, IL33, GM-CSF and TSLP.
Moreover, it was shown that innate immune cells such as basophils or eosinophils would amplify Th2 responses initiated by DCs. Known environmental risk factors like cigarette smoke exposure and diesel exhaust particles promote HDM-driven asthma by triggering the function of DCs, epithelial cells or innate immune cells.
Why do we train medical doctors in our team?
Training medical doctors in our team is fundamental to bridging the gap between immunological research and patient care in respiratory diseases. Medical doctors bring vital clinical experience that helps us align our research with the practical challenges faced in treating respiratory conditions like asthma and lung infections. By involving them in our immunological studies, we equip them with a deeper understanding of immune mechanisms, enhancing their ability to integrate cutting-edge research into treatment strategies. This collaboration accelerates the translation of scientific discoveries into improved clinical interventions, ultimately benefiting patient care. Bart is an MD-PhD himself.
The position
Meet Mariela!
Biosketch
Born in Veracruz, Mexico. She did her Medical Degree in Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico. During her last year of bachelor she performed her social service in a physiology research institute, working in the cardiovascular physiology area. Her work in the effect of anti-hypertensive drugs in oxidative stress and Nerve Growth Factor in the heart allowed her to write her bachelor thesis, work that was presented in two national congresses. In 2019 she was awarded with the Pfizer-Amfem Award for Medical Doctors. After the medical degree she worked in the oncology area as a surgery assistant. She moved to Spain to perform a Master Degree in immunology, during that time she did a fellowship in the rheumatology area of La Paz Hospital Madrid, working in the characterization of exosomes as biomarkers for rheumatic diseases. After presenting the Master thesis, she obtained a scholarship for doing a research fellowship in the Biological Research Institute Margarita Salas, part of the Scientific Research Superior Council of Spain. During that time she worked with the role of serotonin in macrophages. In the EMERALD program she is working in the role of type 2 immunity in the generation of metastasis.
University awarding the PhD
Mariela is enrolled at the UGent.
I decided to become a physician because…
I decided to become a physician because I was always fascinated by the biological sciences and considered that the work as a physician will allow me to pursue my passion and at the same time help people in different ways. Now I see that being a medical doctor is more complex and profound than that.
But also, I wanted to become a scientist because…
Working as a physician, specially in the oncology area, let me realize the gaps in medical knowledge we currently have and even worse, the miscommunication between scientist and physicians, leading to the generation of knowledge that in many cases is not being applied. In order to really improve society overall health we need to understand the basics of the human body in health and diseases, and apply this knowledge to the everyday health issues we face everyday as physicians. I want to become a scientist to break that gap and be able to offer real solutions to my patients.
What I am working on?
My work is focused on the study of the metastatic niche in the lung and how this is shaped in order to permit metastatic seeding. The immune system has different ways of activation and performance, one of them is the type 2 response, characteristic of allergic conditions such as asthma, food allergy, or allergic dermatitis. The persistence of this response will lead to changes in the cellular compartments and the remodeling of the tissue. We are interested in looking at the effect of this type of immune response in the tumor microenvironment and the metastatic niche. With the help of animal models, we are able to reproduce an allergic response and observe the changes in the metastatic seeding in the lung with the goal of identifying the mechanism that leads to more or less metastatic seeding.
Why is this important to me as a medical doctor?
The principal cause of death after the diagnosis of cancer is the evolution to a metastatic stage, where the availability for treatments decreases, and in consequence the survival chance decreases drastically. Being able to contribute to this research field will allow me to understand more in deep the physio-pathology of cancer and give a more adequate treatment to my patients.
Who am I besides a future physician-scientist?
I really enjoy being surrounded by nature, in my free time I like going to explore natural places near me in Belgium, and taking advantage of the quiet places to read or just appreciate the animals I spot in the place. I also enjoy painting, mostly with watercolor and oil paint.
