Claude Libert
Molecular Mouse Genetics
VIB Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, UGent

PhD: Univ. of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium, '93 Postdoc: Istituto di Ricerche di Biologia Molecolare, Rome, Italy VIB Group leader since 1997

e-mail phone +32 9 331 37 00 ADDRESS

Current team members
Group leader: Claude Libert
Postdoctoral scientists: Chitty Chen, Roosmarijn Vandenbroucke, Valerie Vanhooren
Ph.D. Students: Eline Dejonckheere, Filip Van Hauwermeiren, Iris Pinheiro, Leen Puimège, Lien Dejager, Liesbeth Huys, Sofie Vandevyver
Support personnel: Joke Vanden Berghe, Sylviane Dewaele

Keywords
cytokines and anticancer therapy - MMP - gene mapping and cloning - mouse models of inflammation - TNF

Science

The inflammatory response is a fundamentally protective, complex and well conserved mechanism. It is actively involved in the induction of immune responses, e.g. against bacterial infection. Several key molecules in inflammation are normally kept under strict control. When this control fails, cytokines such as TNF, interleukins and interferons can cause extensive damage, leading to conditions such as chronic inflammation, sepsis or shock. We are interested in understanding the biology of these cytokines and their control mechanisms, and in evaluating their therapeutic potential. One particular animal model that is proving useful in our research is the SPRET/Ei mouse, an inbred strain derived from Mus spretus. We also focus on the protective power of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and we are also identifying other potentially protective molecules and studying them in mice. Among these are the members of the family of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which contribute to the development of inflammation. We are studying these molecules in the context of inflammation and infectious diseases.

In another vein, healthy aging is closely linked to avoidance of inflammation processes. We have developed a simple and sensitive method to determine health status during aging based on glycoprofiling of total serum proteins, and we are now using this system to understand the mechanism by which inflammation influences the aging process.

Link to Group's website for more details.

Press Release
See also press release (08/08/2007): New test improves detection of liver cancer - based on a publication in Hepatology (Xue-en Liu et al., Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma by glycomics analysis in patients with liver cirrhosis induced by hepatitis B virus, Hepatology, 2007)

Huys L, Van Hauwermeiren F, Dejager L, Dejonckheere E, Lienenklaus S, Weiss S, Leclercq G, Libert C
Type I interferon drives tumor necrosis factor-induced lethal shock
J EXP MED 206, 1873-82, 2009



Takahashi N, Vanlaere I, De Rycke R, Cauwels A, Joosten L, Lubberts E, Van Den Berg W, Libert C
IL-17 produced by Paneth cells drives TNF-induced shock
J EXP MED 205, 1755-61, 2008



Mahieu T, Park J, Revets H, Pasche B, Lengeling A, Staelens J, Wullaert A, Vanlaere I, Hochepied T, Van Roy F, Karin M, Libert C
The wild-derived inbred mouse strain SPRET/Ei is resistant to LPS and defective in IFN-beta production
P NATL ACAD SCI USA 103, 2292-7, 2006



Van Molle W, Wielockx B, Mahieu T, Takada M, Taniguchi T, Sekikawa K, Libert C
HSP70 protects against TNF-induced lethal inflammatory shock
IMMUNITY 16, 685-695, 2002



Wielockx B, Lannoy K, Shapiro S, Itoh T, Itohara S, Vandekerckhove J, Libert C
Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases blocks lethal hepatitis and apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor and allows safe antitumor therapy
NAT MED 7, 1202-1208, 2001

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