Projects
The following are LCSB projects for which we are particularly looking for additional support:
- MCI-BIOME study
- Zellweger Syndrome: A rare childhood disease
- National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s Disease
- LCSB Studentlab for high-school students
| MCI-BIOME study: relationship between socioeconomics and gut microbiome as a risk for dementia Dementia is one of the greatest scientific, medical and socio-economic challenges of our times. It affects more than 6,500 people in Luxembourg, with worldwide incidence numbers projected to double within the next 20 years. There is no medical treatment to prevent, halt or reverse the progression of neurodegeneration underlying dementia. From a population perspective, individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are at highest risk to progress towards dementia. In this context and in order to design future preventive and risk-reducing interventions, the project MCI-BIOME aims to further our knowledge of the relationship between socioeconomic factors and changes in the gut microbiome in relation to MCI. The main objectives of this study are to identify specific microbiome signatures for MCI patients and to explore how microbiome characteristics differ between sub-groups defined by socioeconomic factors, e.g., education, psychological factors, e.g., perceived stress, and diet. To achieve this, blood, stool and saliva as well as socioeconomic data from 60 people with and 60 without MCI will be collected. The project relies on a unique interdisciplinary team composed of Professor Paul Wilmes (specialist in high-resolution microbiome characterization, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg), Professor Rejko Krüger (clinical expert in neurodegeneration, Centre Hospitalier Luxembourg, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg) and Professor Anja Leist (specialist in socioeconomic and psychological research, University of Luxembourg). If you want to support this project, donate now using the Subject: 'MCI-BIOME'. Please don't hesitate to contact us to further discuss your donation. |
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Zellweger Syndrome: A rare childhood disease
| About 15,000 children in Luxembourg and 15 million children in Europe have a disease that is considered “rare”, and 30% of them will not see their 5th birthday. At the LCSB we study several rare childhood diseases, including Zellweger syndrome, which is a rare genetic disease with severe effects that often leads to premature death. There is currently no treatment for this disease. The LCSB’s Treat Zellweger Initiative seeks to rapidly identify potential treatments for Zellweger syndrome using zebrafish as model-organisms to carry out drug discovery screens. Please support our research that aims at improving the quality of life of children with this disease with the ultimate goal to find a cure for this horrific childhood disease. If you want to support this project, donate now using the Subject: 'Zellweger'. Please don't hesitate to contact us to further discuss your donation. |
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| National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s Disease The National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s Disease (NCER-PD) focuses on improving the diagnosis and stratification of Parkinson's disease (PD) by combining detailed clinical and molecular data of patients to develop novel disease biomarker signatures and define subtypes of the disease. The ultimate goal is to diagnose PD at an earlier stage and with a higher specificity than is currently possible and subsequently to offer patients more personalized treatment options. It represents a joint effort between 4 partners in Luxembourg (LCSB, CHL, IBBL and LIH) that unite their expertise in Parkinson’s disease. Within NCER-PD, we will carry out two long-term projects, each covering a crucial aspect of the research programme: the establishment of the Luxembourg Parkinson’s cohort comprising 800 patients and 800 healthy controls as well as the in-depth molecular characterisation of PD pathogenesis (DIAGNOSIS). Furthermore, NCER-PD setup secure infrastructures for hosting genomic data for Parkinson’s studies from around the world in collaboration with the American National Institute of Health (NIH). Projects on imaging and the role of the microbiome in PD are associated. Although the NCER-PD project is generously funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche, additional funds are needed to allow more in-depth analysis and to further accelerate this Parkinson’s disease programme. Further information on the NCER-PD website. If you want to support this project, donate now using the Subject: 'NCER-PD'. Please don't hesitate to contact us to further discuss your donation. |
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The National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson's Disease
Colon tissue of Parkinson's disease patient analysed at the LCSB |
| The LCSB Studentlab for high-school students The LCSB has founded the first Luxembourg-based educational laboratory, called Studentlab. The Studentlab is designed specifically for Luxembourgish high-school students and is run by PhD-level scientists who are familiar with the newest trends and technologies in the life sciences. Situated in the growing and vibrant university site of Esch/Belval, the studentlab is ideally positioned to provide students with a glimpse into the world of biomedical research. School classes are invited to attend the studentlab for a one-day workshop to carry out scientific experiments in a fully equipped research facility. In addition to courses offered during the school year, science camps will be organized during school holidays. If you want to support this project, donate now using the Subject: 'Studentlab'. Please don't hesitate to contact us to further discuss your donation. |
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Luxembourgish high-school students at the LCSB |
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