FWO Aspirant Fellowships for Adrian and Sophie
PhD candidates Sophie Janssens and Adrian Romero from the Laboratory for Molecular Bio-Discovery have received a highly coveted aspirant fellowship from the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO). Out of no fewer than 2,076 applicants, 492 young researchers were selected to receive four years of financial support to carry out their research projects.
The FWO (Research Foundation – Flanders) is an organization that supports scientists in Flanders to conduct new research. An FWO aspirant fellowship is essentially a grant for young researchers (often PhD students) who want to pursue their own research. With such a fellowship, they can fully focus on scientific work—such as research into childhood epilepsy—to gain new insights and contribute to better care in the future.
Congratulations to Sophie and Adrian on this wonderful achievement!
Adrian Romero’s Project
Adrian’s research aims to develop disease-modifying genetic therapies as a treatment approach that goes beyond symptomatic relief by targeting key disease mechanisms. To achieve this, he focuses on genetic targets involved in the onset and progression of Dravet syndrome and other genetically driven, pharmacoresistant epilepsies. These targets were identified in zebrafish models, and their clinical potential will be explored through preclinical studies in human neuronal models (derived via induced pluripotent stem cell technology) and mouse models. By investigating these targets, there is potential not only to stop epileptic seizures but also to address associated comorbidities that significantly impact quality of life.
What are Genetic Therapies?
Genetic therapies are treatments that aim to tackle a disease by altering something in a person’s genetic material. This can occur at the level of DNA or RNA. DNA contains all the instructions that determine how our body functions, and this information is transcribed into RNA to produce proteins. Sometimes, there is an error in this process, which can cause illness or increase the risk of disease. In genetic therapy, scientists try to correct, replace, or silence that error. The goal is not just to treat symptoms but to address the root cause of the disease. That’s why genetic therapies hold great promise for conditions that are difficult or impossible to treat with conventional medicines.
Sophie Janssens’ Project
Sophie’s research project focuses on developing and optimizing a new, patient-specific zebrafish model for Dravet syndrome—a rare and severe form of epilepsy that often begins in early childhood and is difficult to treat. Patient-derived nerve cells, obtained through induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, are transplanted into zebrafish. This approach creates a model that not only reflects the genetic mutation causing the disease but also incorporates the patient’s genetic background. Unlike traditional animal models, this method offers additional opportunities to study the variability and complexity of human diseases. By combining the advantages of a living organism with the patient’s genetic characteristics, this research opens doors to more personalized and targeted treatments.
What Are Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)?
“iPSCs are created from adult cells such as skin or blood cells. By reactivating certain genes, these cells are reverted to an early, pluripotent state—similar to embryonic stem cells. This means they can then develop into almost any cell type in the body, such as brain, heart, or liver cells.”
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