Sybren De Boever
Doctoral fellow - Gut-Liver Immunopharmacology unit - Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences - UGent Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Doctoral fellow - In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology - Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences - VUB Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy
Principal investigator: prof. Lindsey Devisscher (PhD) and prof. Mathieu Vinken (PhD)
Research focus
Microplastics and nanoplastics are widely circulating waste products that have gained attention over the past decade. Increasing evidence demonstrates the uptake of these particles by various organisms, including humans. This, together with their omnipresence and high environmental persistence has motivated research over the past years to explore their toxicological effects. In addition to their disease inducing and aggravating potential in various organs, including the liver, a carcinogenic potential has recently been suggested as well. Given the severe medical impact of liver cancer, it is important to further evaluate micro- and nanoplastics as a risk factor for liver cancer, along with its aggravating potential on predeveloped liver cancer. This project aims to evaluate this liver cancer inducing and aggravating potential of micro- and nanoplastics in a combined in vivo-in vitro study at UGent and VUB, while focusing on human relevant in vivo and in vitro models that are subjected to relevant exposure regimes. The effects of the particles will be evaluated on a transcriptional and functional level. The insights of this research will contribute to the risk assessment of micro- and nanoplastics.
Contact & links
- Lab address:
1) Gut-Liver ImmunoPharmacology unit, Department Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, entrance 36, 9000 Ghent
2) In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Laarbeeklaan 103, Building G, 1090 Jette - Involved in "In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (IVTD)"
at VUB