Current pre-clinical drug safety evaluation methods remain costly, inefficient, and unreliable, with 80–90% of compounds ultimately failing in human trials — often due to poor predictive models and safety concerns. Scaffold-based 3D organ models offer a more promising and physiologically relevant
Last updated on: 02-10-2025 - 14:55
Contact: Jolanda van Hengel
Organisation: Ghent University (UGent), Ghent University hospital (UZ Gent), Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum (IMEC), University of Hasselt (UHasselt)
Status: Still in development
Older adults are characterized by specific metabolic changes, altering their nutritional needs (i.e., lower calorie but higher protein requirement). Adapted nutrition is of crucial importance for this group. To develop foods adapted to the nutritional needs of older adults and test the impact of
Last updated on: 01-10-2025 - 16:20
Contact: Dorine Duijsens
Organisation: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
Here, we introduce an open-access Spheroid Light Microscopy Image Atlas (SLiMIA) that can serve as a training set for morphology studies of 3D cell cultures. We provide images with a variety of metadata: 9 microscopes, 47 cell lines, 8 culture media, 4 spheroid formation methods and multiple cell
Last updated on: 01-10-2025 - 08:40
Contact: Eva Blondeel
Organisation: Ghent University (UGent)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
Here we present the self-assembly of single-cell suspensions into spheroids by the liquid overlay method, followed by a modular framework for a multifaceted phenotyping of spheroids. Cell seeding, supernatant handling and compound administration are elaborated by both manual and automated procedures
Last updated on: 01-10-2025 - 08:37
Contact: Eva Blondeel
Organisation: Ghent University (UGent)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
More than 3 million deaths worldwide are linked to excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse associated gut barrier dysfunction is thought to play an important role in the development of alcohol-associated liver disease. Although some aspects that contribute to this process have been elucidated,
Last updated on: 15-09-2025 - 08:46
Contact: Ami Gloria Toulehohoun
Organisation: Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
Partners: Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
Status: Internally validated, Published in peer reviewed journal
This method generates cortical brain organoids from embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells. The protocol involves neural induction of 3D aggregates (embryoid bodies) which are then directed towards the cortical lineage in the presence of small molecules. SMAD inhibition (dorsomorphin
Last updated on: 12-09-2025 - 08:51
Contact: Roel Quintens
Organisation: Belgian Nuclear Research Centre
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer worldwide, with radiotherapy being a common treatment. Existing models of the gastrointestinal tract, including mouse and 2D immortalized human cell culture models, lack the combination of human representability and radiotoxicity. This study seeks
Last updated on: 09-09-2025 - 16:29
Cholestatic liver injury is a complex adversity leading to the toxic accumulation of noxious bile salts in the liver and systemic circulation. Cholestasis can be instigated by a plethora of chemicals originating from several applicability domains. Current efforts fail to predict the cholestatic
Last updated on: 28-08-2025 - 11:18
Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Partners: Ghent University (UGent)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
Fatty liver disease, which can result from various factors including chemical exposure, is an increasing clinical concern. A key event in its development is steatosis, referring to the accumulation of lipids within hepatocytes. To enable early detection of chemical-induced liver steatosis, we
Last updated on: 28-08-2025 - 11:18
Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Status: Published in peer reviewed journal
The method detects two facets of drug-induced cytotoxicity i.e. the intracellular accumulation of phospholipids and of neutral lipids, i.e. phospholipidosis and steatosis respectively. The assay makes use of a kit containing an aqueous, red-fluorescent formulation of labelled phospholipids (LipidTOX
Last updated on: 14-08-2025 - 13:13
Contact: Cannot be disclosed
Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Status: History of use
