Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy

Lore Herman

Lore Herman

 

 

 

 

 

Contact

Laboratory for General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy
Ghent University
Ottergemsesteenweg 460
9000 Gent
Belgium
Tel: 0032 9 264 80 47 (secretary)
Tel: 0032 9 264 83 65 (direct)
Fax: 0032 9 2648189
E-mail:

Biography

Lore Herman obtained her bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (with distinction) in 2018 at Ghent University. Subsequently, she obtained her master’s degree in Drug Development (with great distinction) in 2020 at Ghent University. Lore performed her master thesis in the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology (FFW, Ghent University), titled ‘The influence of 3D lung epithelial cells on the efficacy of antibiotics towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in cystic fibrosis’, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Aurélie Crabbé.              In August 2020, she joined the Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicines, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Koen Raemdonck.

Research interests

Respiratory diseases, bio-inspired delivery vectors, surfactant protein B, endosomal escape, pulmonary drug delivery, siRNA, mRNA.

Summary of Research Project(s)

The research of Lore focuses on repurposing lung surfactant protein B (SP-B) for inhalation therapy with RNA therapeutics.

Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death and disability worldwide. In many of these patients, standard of care is not sufficient, emphasizing the need for innovative treatments. RNA therapeutics, including small interfering RNA (siRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA), are an emerging class of medicines with the ability to target any disease with a known underlying genetic dysfunction. Therefore, RNA therapeutics for pulmonary delivery are highly sought after, but lack of safe and efficient delivery vectors hampers their clinical translation. Repurposing SP-B -from its endogenous environment in pulmonary surfactant to a nanoparticle- has the power to create a biocompatible delivery platform, to transform the promise of inhalable RNA therapeutics into a clinical reality.