ADVANCE One Health Research

Human immunodeficiency virus

Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV causes AIDS in humans, a condition in which the immune system becomes severely weakened, leaving individuals vulnerable to life-threatening opportunistic infections. While modern combination antiretroviral therapy can suppress the virus and prevent disease progression, it cannot eliminate the infection because HIV hides within the DNA of long-lived cells as a latent reservoir. Together with the HIV Cure Research Center, our research team aims to overcome this challenge by using CRISPR-Cas9-based gene-editing technologies to target and clear latent HIV. By integrating these tools in nanomaterials such as targeted lipid nanoparticles, virus-like particles, and viral vectors, we aim to develop a new nanomedicine as a cure for HIV.

Feline immunodeficiency virus

Like HIV, feline immunodeficiency virus or FIV causes a gradual weakening of the host’s immune system, leading to AIDS in cats. Today, 5-20% of the global cat population is infected with FIV. Unlike HIV, there are no licensed antiretroviral therapies for FIV, leaving treatment primarly palliative. Therefore, our team is developing CRISPR-Cas9-based lipid nanoparticles and virus-like particles as potential cure strategy against FIV.

Human herpesvirus type 7

Human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) is a common virus that infects most people during childhood and then establishes a lifelong latent infection in immune cells. This infection mainly poses a risk for those who are immunodeficient, resulting in complications like neurological disorders en transplantation complications. Like for other herpesviruses, our immune system is unable to clear viral DNA. Therefore, our team explores the use of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing packaged in targeted virus-like particles to clear infection. Ultimately, this holds promise for the development of novel therapies to prevent or treat HHV-7-associated diseases.

Equine sarcoid tumors

Equine sarcoid represents the most common skin tumor affecting horses. These tumors are locally invasive and aggressive and can cause serious discomfort or even prevent the intended use of the horse. Sarcoids are caused by infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV), followed by the expression of viral oncogenes. In collaboration with Prof. Ann Martens and dr. Maarten Haspeslagh, we are exploring the use of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to eliminate these oncogenes and switch off tumorogenesis. By packaging gene-editing tools into virus-like particles, we aim to develop novel therapeutic strategies against equine sarcoid tumors.

Impact of micro- and nanoplastics on animal respiratory health

Plastics have become deeply embedded in modern society, but a major drawback of this widespread plastic use is the accumulation of plastic waste, which, due to its persistent nature, undergoes gradual degradation into microplastics (MPs; 1 μm – 5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs; <1 μm). These MNPs are now ubiquitous across global ecosystems and have also found their way to agricultural environments, leading to increased exposure of livestock to MNPs. Emerging evidence points out that MNPs pose serious health risks to humans as they can easily be inhaled, ingested, and enter the bloodstream, where they may cause tissue damage and immune dysregulation. However, little is known about the impact of MNPs on animal (respiratory) health. Therefore, in collaboration with Prof. Jana Asselman, our team aims to decipher the role of MNPs in respiratory disease complex of different livestock animals.