dr. Sander Lefere (MD, PhD)
Postdoctoral Researcher, Hepatology Research Unit, Dpt. of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University
Principal investigator: prof. Hans Van Vlierberghe (MD, PhD)
Research focus
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, paralleling the increasing prevalence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. MASLD can progress to hepatic inflammation (steatohepatitis), fibrosis and liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC). In contrast to other chronic liver diseases, HCC can develop in MASLD patients even in the absence of liver cirrhosis.
We have several research interests in the field of MASLD and HCC:
- The potential benefit of targeting nuclear receptors for the treatment of MASLD and MASLD-HCC, with a particular focus on PPARs (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) and ERR (energy-related receptor)
- The impact of maternal obesity on offspring metabolic health, MASLD and HCC
- The interplay between obesity, bariatric surgery, alcohol intake and development of liver disease and HCC
Key publications
- Differential effects of selective- and pan-PPAR agonists on experimental steatohepatitis and hepatic macrophages. Journal of Hepatology. 2020;73(4):757-770.
- Unveiling the depletion of Kupffer cells in experimental hepatocarcinogenesis through liver macrophage subtype-specific markers. 2019. Journal of Hepatology 2019;71(3):631-633.
- Angiopoietin-2 promotes pathological angiogenesis and is a novel therapeutic target in murine non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology 2019;69(3):1087-1104.
Contact
Ghent University, Dpt. of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Gent
The Core, entrance 37a, 3rd floor