Publications

Abstract A common hallmark of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is kidney fibrosis, which manifests as an increased deposition and turnover of collagens in the kidneys. Current clinical methods of monitoring disease progression in CKD patients do not truly reflect alterations at the tissue level without the use of invasive biopsies. Naturally occurring urinary peptides associated […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized as an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system (CNS), presenting with significant inter- and intra individual heterogeneity. The pathological hallmarks of active MS lesions are blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption, inflammation, and demyelination with axonal damage. Blood-based biomarkers reflecting tissue changes in immunology and/or neurobiology may […]

Abstract The extracellular matrix (ECM) protein Beta-Ig H3 (βigH3, also known as transforming growth factor β induced protein (TGFBI)) is related to poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Proteolytic cleavage of βigH3 has been shown to result in release of the N-terminal fragment covering amino acid 1 to 137, but whether the […]

Abstract The NC1 domains of collagens have been shown to possess antiangiogenic potential and, therefore, are of therapeutic interest for cancer. However, endostatin and other NC1 domains have not been successful in clinical tests. Therefore, we used evolutionary conservation to perform molecular deconstruction of the domains to further understand their structure-activity relationship, thereby deciphering their […]

Abstract Collagen type I (COL1) is the most abundant protein in the human body and is a main component in the extracellular matrix. The COL1 structure vastly influences normal tissue homeostasis, and changes in the matrix drive progression in multiple diseases. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in many Western […]

Abstract Inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, is characterized by physical function impairment. This becomes apparent even before arthritis onset, as in psoriasis (PsO). Chronic inflammation triggers an accelerated remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM), resulting in released ECM fragments detectable in blood. We aimed to investigate levels of blood-based ECM biomarkers in […]

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition. One of the unmet medical needs in PD, are tools for better diagnosis, prognosis, and efficacy of treatment, which reflects the disease course of the individual patient. Alpha-Synuclein (α-Synuclein) is a hallmark of synucleinopathies such as PD, where α-Synuclein aggregates are deposited. Calpain-1 is an enzyme, […]

Abstract UNLABELLED The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and fracture risk was estimated in an international meta-analysis of individual-level data from 29 prospective cohorts. RA was associated with an increased fracture risk in men and women, and these data will be used to update FRAX®. INTRODUCTION RA is a well-documented risk factor for subsequent fracture […]

Abstract Remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a continuous process necessary for maintaining skin tissue architecture and function. Disruption of type VII and XVII collagen turnover within the ECM is a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis (AD). To investigate the turnover of type VII and XVII collagens […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by microvasculopathy, autoantibody production, and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Disrupted collagen turnover in SSc leads to excessive collagen accumulation, but the remodeling of type VII collagen, a key component of the skin’s basement membrane, is not well understood. This study investigates […]