2. Research activities

Research activities

Research projects developed in PhRR concern organism adaptation to different physiological and pathophysiological conditions, with a particular focus on muscle tissue and its relationship with oxygen.

In this context, PhRR has developped 3 research axes:

  • Respiratory pathologies (COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, OSA : Obstructive Sleep Apnea),
  • Exercise training,
  • Hereditary and acquired myopathies (DMA: Disuse Muscle Atrophy, FSHD: Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Musclular Dystrophy).

Research projects are developed in the willingness of a translational approach and combine:

  • Clinical studies,
  • Experimentation in vivo (muscle deconditioning/reconditioning, continuous and intermittent hypoxia exposure, transgene electroporation, …),
  • Mechanistic studies in cell culture in vitro (macrophages, myoblastes, myotubes, isolated myofibres and satellite cells …)

Key research projects

  • Muscle-Brain communication in the context of obesity: which impact of exercise training?
  • Effect of intermittent hypoxia on respiratory and locomotor muscles in the context of OSA.
  • Effect of hypoxaemia on adipo/myokines in the context of COPD.
  • DUX4-HIF1 cross-talk in FSHD.
  • Adiponectin pathway: a therapeutical target to counteract muscle deconditioning ?
  • Muscle-targeting of antisense agents as therapy for myopathies.
  • Translational study of the relationship between muscular and respiratory functions in patients with FSHD: development of clinical and molecular criteria.

Collaborative projects and consortium

  • ORGANCROSSTALK consortium – Health Institute
  • Lab. Neurosciences: “Oxydative stress and neuroinflammation in cognitive disorders associated to episodic hypoxaemia: a multidimensional approach in a murine model”.
  • Lab. Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry: “Pathophysiological and Molecular mechnisms associated to intra and extra-muscular lipid accumulation”.
  • Lab. Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry: “AMPK activation: a therapeutic strategy against muscle metabolic alteration in FSHD?”.
  • Lab. cardiologie et Lab. General, Organic and Biomedical Chemistry : « Screening of atheromatic lesions with VCAM-targeting nanoplatforms for RMN and optical imagery in a transgenic mouse model exposed to intermittent hypoxia.

Publications

https://staff.umons.ac.be/alexandre.legrand/pubsFr.html

https://staff.umons.ac.be/Alexandra.Tassin/pubsfr.html

Collaborations:

  • Health Institute : Lab. Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry (Prof. AE Declèves, Dr. F. Coppée), Lab. Neurosciences (Prof. L. Ris, Dr. A. Villers), Lab. Human Biology and Toxicology (Prof. JM Collet, Dr. V. Tagliatti), Lab. Histologie (Prof. D. Nonclercq), Lab. Cardiology (Prof. S. Carlier), Lab. General, Organic and Biomedical Chemistry (Prof. S. Laurent, Dr. C. Burtea), CMMI, The Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (Prof. S. Laurent, Dr. S. Boutry), Lab. Sémiology (Prof. D. Vanpee).
  • Bioscience Institute : Mecanobiology & Soft Matter Group (Prof. S. Gabriel).
  • Laboratory of Polymeric and Composite Materials (LPMC) – Materia Nova : Prof. JM. Raquez & Dr. R. Micheva
  • ULB – Lab. Experimental Medicine : Prof. K Zouaoui Boudjeltia
  • UCLouvain : Prof. P. Sonveaux
  • Université de Montpellier : Prof. D. Laoudj-Chenivesse
  • King’s College of London : Prof. P. Zammit
  • CHU Liège : Prof. J. Pincemail •  CHR Citadelle : Prof. L. Servaix

Our unit is also associated with the following UMONS research institutes :