This project will take advantage of the vicinity of a new center for multimodal imaging to develop new non-invasive methods to assess the status of allografts posttransplantation, with the goal to identify novel biomarkers to predict the risk of rejection. We will compare in rodent models of liver and renal transplantation the potential of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the magnitude of damaging events related to ischemia-reperfusion injury or rejection, using immunohistochemical analysis combined with digital image analysis as benchmark. Metabolic changes, cell death-related processes and immune cell infiltrates will be quantified by specific probes suitable for in vivo use in humans. Based on the results obtained, the most promising methods will be considered for clinical translation in patients receiving liver transplants.

Principal investigators: Veronique FLAMAND (PhD) and Vincent DONKIER (MD-PhD)
Associate investigator: Sarah DREMIER (PhD)
MD-PhD students: Patrizia LOI, Félicie SHERER
Technical assistant: Marie-Aline LAUTE

Buonocore S, Surquin M, Le Moine A, Abramowicz D, Flamand V, Goldman M. Amplification of T-cell responses by neutrophils: relevance to allograft immunity. Immunol Lett. 2004;94(3):163-6.

Loi P, Paulart F, Pajak B, Nagy N, Salmon I, Moser M, Goldman M, Flamand V. The fate of dendritic cells in a mouse model of liver ischemia/reperfusion injury. Transplant Proc. 2004 36(5):1275-9.

Government of the Walloon Region
GSK Biologicals
The Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S - FNRS) and the Télévie Programme
The Belgian Science Policy
The European Commission
The Erasme Fund The Wiener-Anspach Foundation
The Belgian Kid's Fund
The Roche Organ Transplantation Research Foundation
The Dimitris and Noela Nakos Foundation
Roche Pharmaceuticals, Belgium
Wittycell S.A.S