Cracking the code of kidney stones

Millions worldwide suffer from chronic pain, where even simple tasks become unbearable. But why does this happen? The key lies in epigenetics, which can be seen as the "conductor" of our genetic orchestra. While our genes provide the notes, epigenetics directs when and how they play. It details how each part of our body should function, thus creating harmony in our bodies. In chronic pain, this conductor falters, leading to a chaotic mix of painful signals, as VUB researcher Huanyu Xiong explains.

On his very first night shift as a brain surgeon, Frederick Van Gestel faced a daunting task: placing a life-saving drain in the middle of a patient’s brain. It made him wonder, “What if I had futuristic X-ray vision to see exactly where to go?” Now, during his PhD, Frederick is developing just that. Using Augmented Reality and special glasses, his technology displays the patient’s internal anatomy to the surgeon, along with crucial surgical waypoints and landmarks— think of it like a GPS for navigating the human brain.

Did you know alpacas are more than just cute and fluffy? 🦙 They create special antibodies that can help us fight cancer! 🎗️ These tiny but mighty "nanobodies" are 10x smaller than regular antibodies, meaning they can easily reach hidden cancer cells in the body. But there's a catch: nanobodies tend to stick around the kidneys for too long, potentially causing damage. Researcher Dora Chigoho (VUB) tries to understand better why this happens. Her goal is to help develop nanobodies that track down cancer and don't stick in the kidneys at all.