Welcome to the Trellis Research Group, headed by Els Henckaerts. Our research focuses on the non-pathogenic adeno-associated virus (AAV) and its application as a gene delivery vector. Through studying the virus’s biology, we aim to improve its capability as a vector for gene therapy, as well as develop and test AAV-based gene therapies of our own.
Successfully developing any gene therapy is incredibly challenging. There are countless pitfalls and technical bridges to cross throughout the development cycle and many gene therapy products fall along the wayside as a result.
What’s really needed is a concerted effort from both the academic and industrial sectors to come together and create an ecosystem that catalyses the gene therapy development process and increases the chance of successfully bringing them to the clinic.
Our goal is to aid the development of such an ecosystem within Flanders and the wider EU region. By collaborating with academic and industrial partners on a variety of projects, we are looking to focus on the key areas required to streamline the gene therapy development cycle, as well as developing our own enabling technologies and training courses to help newcomers to the field.
Be it novel vector or capsid designs, production plasmid designs, up- or downstream bioprocessing practices or analytical methods, our team is dedicated to collaboratively studying the fundamental aspects of AAV-based gene therapies. We also support promising new development programmes on their way from fundamental research to authorised medicines.
We are part of the KU Leuven Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation. Our research laboratories are located in ON1 bis on the Gasthuisberg Campus and at the Leuven Bio-Incubator.
Intraparenchymal convection enhanced delivery of AAV in sheep to treat Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIC
O’Leary, C., Forte, G., Mitchell, N.L. et al. | J Transl Med, 2023 Jul 5;21(1):437.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-023-04208-1
Changing trends in the development of AAV-based gene therapies: a meta-analysis of past and present therapies
Burdett, T., Nuseibeh, S. | Gene Ther, 2023 Apr;30(3-4):323-335
Comparative structural, biophysical, and receptor binding study of true type and wild type AAV2
Bennett, A., Hull, J. et al. | J Struct Biol, 2021 Dec;213(4):107795.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107795
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Coinfection Modifies Adeno-associated Virus Genome End Recombination
Meier, A.F., Tobler, K. et al. | J Virol, 2021 Jun 10;95(13):e0048621.
The Cryo-EM structure of AAV2 Rep68 in complex with ssDNA reveals a malleable AAA+ machine that can switch between oligomeric states
Santosh, V., Musayev, F.N. et al. | Nucleic Acids Res, 2020 Dec 16;48(22):12983-12999.
Trellis Research Group
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation
Bio-Incubator 3
Arenberg Wetenschapspark
Gaston Geenslaan 2
+32 (0)16 88 28 70
Arenberg Accelerator
Arenberg Wetenschapspark
Gaston Geenslaan 3
3001 Leuven
Belgium
O&N 1 bis
Herestraat 49
3000 LEUVEN
Belgium