ULB - FNRS
" Inactivation of viruses on surfaces, textiles, surgical Tools, or any 2D or 3D object cannot always be performed using chemicals. This project aims at inactivating viruses using various atmospheric plasma sources, and study these mechanisms of inactivation. "
Funding: ULB Walloon Region (requested)
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UMONS ; FabLab Mons ; Fab-C Charleroi Métropole ; FabLab Wapi
" Visors for face masks produced at FabLab Mons. In collaboration with Fab-C Charleroi Métropole and FabLab Wapi, FabLab Mons is currently producing visors for nursing staff. These visors extend the life of the masks by preventing splash contamination. This has been made possible with the financial support of the FRMH and the donation of transparent sheets from multiple organisations, which has enabled the FabLab to distribute several thousand visors (23,000+ distributed to date) to medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nursing home staff, opticians and audiologists. "
Contact: FabLab Mons https://fablabmons.be This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hôpital Erasme and ULB - Faculty of medicine
" A translational prospective research project was initiated to characterize longitudinally the immune responses of patients with COVID-19, to identify the mechanisms underlying progression to severe disease. Blood samples are collected at three different time points from two groups of patients, those with a flu-like disease, and those with respiratory symptoms (mild to severe). They are stored in a biobank after appropriate treatment to be further available for different research projects. The first one will focus on the characterization of the phenotype of innate cells (dendritic cells, monocytes, NK cells) and T lymphocyte subpopulations, and on the analysis of the concentrations of IFN-a and a panel of other cytokines, to investigate the importance of the kinetic of pDC mobilization and type I IFN production before the appearance of the cytokine storm. "
Funding: - ULB - COVID-19 special call - FNRS - crédit urgent de recherche...

Read more: Françoise Mascart, Professor - Véronique Del Marmol, Professor - Véronique Corbière, Doctor

ULiège, CHU - FNRS
" We aim to define the clinical characteristics associated with the production and the level of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in COVID19 recovered patients. In particular, we will investigate whether the development of a strong and persistent humoral immune response takes place in severely affected, individuals with mild symptoms or asymptomatic individuals. We will also study the study the persistence of NAbs overtime. "
Funding: Fonds Léon Frédéricq FNRS
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UCLouvain
" This research project aims at studying the conditions under which the modern welfare state could build a kind of epidemics insurance, while paying a particular attention to the issue of fairness. The global objective of saving lives may be associated to policies that have undesirable distributive effects, against ideals of social justice. The project aims at finding ways to make mass prevention and equity compatible. "
Funding: This project will be part of my research load at UCLouvain, within the Hoover Chair in Economic ans Social Ethics.
Publication References: Fleurbaey, M., Ponthiere, G. (2013). Prevention against Equality ? Journal of Public Economics. Fleurbaey, M., Leroux, ML, Ponthiere, G. (2014). Compensating the dead. Journal of Mathematical Economics. Fleurbaey, M., Leroux, ML., Pestieau, P., Ponthiere G. (2016). Fair retirement under risk lifetime. International Economic Review. Leroux, ML., Ponthiere, G. (2018). Working time regulations, unequal lifetime and...

Read more: Gregory Ponthiere, Professor

ULB, Department of Pathology, Erasme hospital and DIAPath-CMMI - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" A first objective of this project is to establish an accurate topography of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the organs and various cells of patients who died in COVID-19 units, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19. A second objective is to provide a routine diagnostic test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in routine samples in pathological anatomy. "
Funding: Fonds Y Boël (Brussels, Belgium), Fonds Erasme pour la Recherche Médicale (Brussels, Belgium), and "Appel à projet Spécial COVID-19 - ULB" (Brussels, Belgium). The CMMI is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Walloon Region of Belgium (Wallonia-biomed; grant no. 411132-957270; project "CMMI-ULB").
Contact: Prof. I. Salmon, Department of Pathology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.

UMONS/Epicura
" We set up a pilot study including positive COVID-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care with acute renal disorders. The primary intention here is to assess the serum and urine metabonomic profiles of patients with renal disorders following SARS COV-2 infection at the time of their hospitalization in order to identify metabolic indicators of the acute renal injury. "
Funding: internal funding and CUR/FNRS project submitted
Publication References:
1. Lindon JC, Nicholson JK, Holmes E, Antti H, Bollard ME, Keun H, Beckonert O, Ebbels TM, Reily MD, Robertson D, Stevens GJ, Luke P, Breau AP, Cantor GH, Bible RH, Niederhauser U, Senn H, Schlotterbeck G, Sidelmann UG, Laursen SM, Tymiak A, Car BD, Lehman-McKeeman L, Colet JM, Loukaci A, Thomas C. Contemporary issues in toxicology the role of metabonomics in toxicology and its evaluation by the COMET project. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 187(3):137-46 (2003)
2. Colet Jean-Marie, ""Metabonomics in the Preclinical and...

Read more: Jean-marie Colet, Pr. - Anne-Emilie Declèves, Pr. - Frédéric Debelle, Dr

UCLouvain - FNRS
" In collaboration with the Central University of Ecuador, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines will be measured in the plasma of COVID-19 patients and immunology pathways markers will be analysed by PCR. These results will be correlated with the severity of the disease. "
Funding: Requested to FNRS
Contact: Prof. J.-P. Coutelier de Duve Institute Universite Catholique de Louvain SSS/DDUV - ICP Av. Hippocrate 75, bte B1.74.05 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert Belgique tel 32 2 764 7437 fax 32 2 764 7430 e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Comment: This project is pending

UMONS, ULB, Sciensano
" A new type of biosensor to characterize in details antibodies specific for antigens of SARS-COV-2. "
Funding: UMONS
Publication References: E. Gosselin, O Denis, A. Van Cauwenberge, J. Conti, JJ Vanden Eynde, K. Huygen, J. De Coninck, "Quantification of the trichothecene Verrucarin-A in environmental samples using an antibody-based spectroscopic biosensor", Sensor Actuat. B.-Chem., 2012, 166-167, 549-555.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULB
" Inhaled ivermectin against COVID-19 study. Development of solution for nebulisation - preclinical safety and efficacy in animal models and clinical evaluation. CORONAVIRUS 2020 (CUR) research project submitted to FNRS on May 1, 2020. "
Funding: FNRS (requested)
Contact: Professor Karim Amighi Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Faculty of Pharmacy Campus Plaine, CP-207 Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050 Brussels - Belgium This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULiège
" Since SARS-CoV-2 testing began at the CHU of Liège we have been carrying out regular whole genome sequencing (WGS) of COVID-19 samples. At the time of writing we have uploaded 187 viral genomes to https://nextstrain.org/ (almost half of the 393 from Belgium). We have carried out regular WGS to monitor the evolution of viral haplotypes. Where possible we have concentrated on health care workers with the goal of identifying clusters of transmission. This included a cluster of seven individuals who were tested on the Roche cobas® instrument using the SARS-CoV-2 test, all were positive for the ORF1ab assay, but negative for the second E-gene assay. To date we have WGS data from four of these individuals, all share identical viral genomes and a SNP in the E-gene has been identified as the most probable cause of the test failure. This observation highlights the importance of redundancy in SARS-CoV-2 assays, especially as some testing regimes recommend an E-gene assay as a primary...

Read more: Keith Durkin, Dr - Maria Artesi, Dr - Sébastien Bontems, Dr - Marie-Pierre Hayette, Dr- Vincent...

ULiège - FNRS - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" Massive infiltration of activated macrophages is associated with the development of a cytokine storm that leads to severe acute respiratory syndrome induced by SARS-CoV-2. Based on our results demonstrating the key role exerted by epigenetic regulation in the activity of macrophages, we propose to study the methyltransferase EZH2 in the pathogenesis induced by SARS-CoV-2. We have also shown that the PD-1 immune checkpoint is responsible for the macrophage anergy induced by the absence of EZH2. The goal of the project is to temper the excessive inflammatory responses associated with macrophages by interfering on the EZH2-PD-1 axis. "
Funding: Decision pending (FNRS Crédit Urgent de Recherche 40002642)
Publication References: - Inhibition of EZH2 methyltransferase decreases immunoediting of mesothelioma cells by autologous macrophages through a PD-1-dependent mechanism. Malik Hamaidia, Hélène Gazon, Clotilde Hoyos, Gabriela...

Read more: Luc Willems, FNRS Research Director

ULiège + Mesylab SRL
" How to securely return to normalcy at work? All countries consider to lift the lockdown, but few have executed it. There are no "best practices". Questions abound: What are the risks? What are the most effective measures? Will communities follow? What are the consequences for our individual lives? Who decides how to proceed? AIMS OF THE PROJECT GIGA aims at defining the best possible approach to opening up again by involving its members. Your opinion matters. GIGA has sought assistance in conducting this real time experiment from political scientists, philosophers, lawyers and medical doctors. "
Contact: This project is supported by the GIGA office and is coordinated by the ad hoc Advisory Committee made up of expert political scientists in participation (Dr. F. Thoreau, Dr. C. Parotte, Dr. P. Delvenne, Dr. C. Fallon), a political and ethicist philosopher (Dr. F. Caeymaex) and doctors (Dr. Y. Beguin, Dr. G. Darcis).

ULiège, CHU, Obstetrics and Gynecology - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" The primary objective of the project is to assess the risk of maternal-fetal transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The secondary objectives are to analyze the impact of COVID-19 infection on the course of pregnancy as well as that of the newborn. This is a prospective study of a positive COVID-19 pregnant patients cohort in a population of 2,500 patients who give birth in the Gynecology-Obstetrics Department at CHR-Liège. Samples will be taken from the mother, the newborn and from the placenta during childbirth from patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy or when they were admitted to the delivery unit. Obstetric and neonatal repercussions will be analyzed. "
Funding: Fondation Leon Fredericq
Contact: Pr Michelle Nisolle This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULB - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" The project aims at understanding why men are more affected than women. Compelling evidences indicate sex-bias in SARS-CoV2 with male representing the majority of severe cases requiring intensive care. Excessive inflammatory symptoms attributed mainly to cytokine storm is the hall-mark of disease progress. We ask whether differences in genetic fitness between male and female patients could contribute to sex-bias and we focus, in particular, on potential role of microRNAs in fine tuning the type and magnitude of the inflammatory response "
Funding: Current application to FNRS IRIS research
Publication References: - Chamekh M, M Deny, M Romano, et al. Differential Susceptibility to Infectious Respiratory Diseases between Males and Females Linked to Sex-Specific Innate Immune Inflammatory Response. Front Immunol. 2017; 8: 1806. - Casimir, G. J., Lefèvre, N., Corazza, F et al. J. Sex and inflammation in respiratory diseases : a clinical...

Read more: Mostafa Chamekh, Professor (coordinator of the project) - Georges Casimir, Professor - Francis...