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Such antibodies could be first-in-class therapeutics that reverse protein crystals and treat asthma and other chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways. The study was published in the leading journal Science.
patient groups to identify microbiome alterations associated with diseases. Recently, they described the so-called B2 enterotype, deficient in some anti-inflammatory bacteria. In June 2019, their results on the high prevalence of this particular enterotype across multiple diagnoses were published in Nature Microbiology. Further research in 2020 identified the common cholesterol-lowering drug statins as a potential microbiota-modulating therapeutic. Also in 2020, the Raes team and international colleagues addressed the poor overlap in genetic association across human studies that look at genetic factors associated with gut microbiome variation. This work appeared in Nature and Nature Microbiology, respectively.
VIB has also founded several start-up companies such as Ablynx: now a Sanofi company, which is focused on the discovery and development of Nanobodies®, a novel class of antibody-derived therapeutic proteins for a range of serious life-threatening human diseases. As for Aelin Therapeutics, it has pioneered a novel modality in drug development in order to create a completely new class of antibiotics and first-in-class therapeutics against high-value undruggable human targets. These startup companies clearly show VIB’s relevance when it comes to translating basic research into concrete solutions for patients.
Start-ups such as ExeVir Bio and Animab are examples of how technology transfer is firmly embedded in VIB’s mission. VIB inked more than 1,400 agreements with local and international companies, with small enterprises and multinationals, and in areas as diverse as the food, biopharmaceutical and agricultural industry. Another example is how, in May 2019 Belgian research groups from VIB, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, and the biotech company argenx announced they had solved a century-long puzzle about the presence of protein crystals in asthma. They have now established that the crystals are highly abundant in airway mucus, stimulate the immune system and promote the inflammation and altered mucus production that is often seen in the airways of asthmatics. Together, the academic and company scientists also developed antibodies that can dissolve these crystals to reduce key asthma features.
An additional strategic initiative to increase the immediate social impact of VIB research is the Grand Challenges program. Projects funded through this program are by definition transdisciplinary, addressing immediate challenges in healthcare and agriculture, and involve extensive collaboration with partners beyond VIB. Each of the Grand Challenges projects will also involve close interaction with many stakeholders, such as patient organizations and policymakers. In 2020, the program cleared additional funds for projects specifically addressing the pandemic. These projects support trials aiming to repurpose existing medication and to characterize disease progression for the identification of susceptibility factors. 51
