Laboratory of Neurobiology: Groundbreaking research into ALS

The Laboratory of Neurobiology focuses on the mechanisms of acute and chronic axonal and neuronal degeneration and regeneration, aiming to contribute to new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders. The researchers study motor neuron diseases – such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and hereditary motor neuropathies – alongside frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and stroke.

“We mimic aspects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in various models to better understand the disease process. Insights into genetic ALS variants may also shed light on sporadic cases,” explains Professor Dr. Ludo Van Den Bosch, who leads the lab.

Stem Cells

We use induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that are created by reprogramming skin cells from patients into stem cells. These can then be converted into motor neurons and muscle cells for our research,” says Van Den Bosch. “We work closely with the Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL). The beauty of this approach is that we can study patient-specific cells in a controlled environment, creating human models in a culture dish.”

Research Subjects

Besides stem cells, the lab also uses fruit flies, zebrafish, and rodents to model the diseases and to study disease mechanisms. “Because we know the genetic causes of ALS, we can examine the effects of specific mutations in laboratory animals and identify what goes wrong. Our goal is to counteract these harmful effects on the motor system through targeted treatments,” Van Den Bosch explains. “Zebrafish are particularly useful, as they develop quickly and have transparent embryos, allowing us to observe motor neuron development effectively.”

Professor Van Den Bosch was work package leader in the FP7 project Euro-Motor, a partner in the Interuniversity Attraction Poles P7/16 of the Belgian Government, and participated in the European PhasAGE training initiative. He is also part of the ‘European ALS consortium’ and of the ‘Robert Packard Center for ALS Research’ (John’s Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA). He is part of the program committee of the annual ENCALS meeting and is head of the discovery science program of the My name’5 Doddie Foundation (UK).

Team

Van Den Bosch has been part of the lab since its founding by Wim Robberecht in 1996. “Back then, I was the first and only postdoc,” he recalls. “Today, we are four professors—Philip Van Damme, Robin Lemmens, Jelle Demeestere, and myself. Our team also includes seventeen PhD students, ten postdocs, and a technical and administrative staff of eight people.” Since 2007, the research group of Van Den Bosch also belongs to VIB, the leading research institute in the life sciences of Flanders. Currently, Van Den Bosch is Group Leader in the Center for Brain & Disease Research (CBD). Since its start, the Laboratory of Neurobiology intensively collaborates with the ALS Liga – Ligue ALS, the Belgian patient organization.