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VIB Blog

On our blog, you can find content curated by the VIB community. Discover our research through the eyes of our scientists.Want to be kept...

Get to know the researchers driving cutting-edge research at VIB and delve into the latest advancements in life sciences.

VIB Blog: Insights and innovations in life sciences research

Op onze blog vindt u inhoud samengesteld door de VIB-gemeenschap. Ontdek ons onderzoek door de ogen van onze wetenschappers.

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Discover how dendritic cell vaccines can potentially improve long-term survival in late-stage ovarian cancer patients.

Dendritic Cell Atlas: A Game-Changer in Anti-Cancer Therapy

-written by Aarushi Audhut Caro, a PhD student at the VIB Center for Inflammation Research

Dendritic cell atlas: roadmap to a better anti-cancer therapy

One out of two patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer dies within five years after diagnosis. Ovarian cancer is often called a silent killer because the symptoms associated with it are very vague and common, including bloating, loss of appetite, belly pain, and frequent urination. As a result, 80% of the patients initially either disregard these symptoms or are misdiagnosed. By the time the correct diagnosis of ovarian cancer is made, the patients are often in the late stages in which the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body. In many cases, this is too late! Interestingly, the majority of late-stage patients occasionally respond positively to the therapies they are provided with, and it appears that the cancer is gone. But eventually, the cancer comes back. Only this time, it’s much more aggressive and does not respond to therapies any longer. Ultimately, it is the late diagnosis and therapy resistance that eventually leads to low five-year survival in ovarian cancer patients. So, it is obvious that we need new therapies that are not only effective but have long-term effects so that late-stage ovarian cancer patients can live more than five years.

This article originally appeared in Dutch in EOS Magazine. Read more at eoswetenschap.eu.

Miniscule cleaners

Hope for those suffering from peripheral spondyloarthritis

Asymmetrical inflamed joints

Cancer exploits the body's biological mechanisms – but differently.

Not by the book

Chronic inflammation is increasingly considered to be a central piece in many disease puzzles. In this series, we'll share three VIB stories about researchers who are unraveling inflammation's role in different health conditions.  

From friend to foe: Understanding inflammation       

Inflammation is a normal defensive response of our bodies against infections and it helps us heal from injuries. If all goes well, inflammation is a finely tuned process that begins with the recognition of harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or toxic substances. To respond to this harm, the body's immune system mobilizes various cell types and signaling molecules that, much like a highly trained army, will contain and eliminate the threat as well as kickstart tissue repair.

Releasing the 'healing brake' on our immune system

Speeding up diabetic wound healing

Key facts (estimates for 2021 from the International Diabetes Federation)

Immunity & Inflammation