VIB Center for Inflammation Research

Science Director: Bart Lambrecht

Our mission

The aim of the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research (IRC) is to unravel the mechanisms of immunity and inflammation for better prevention and therapy of human chronic disease.

Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or tissue injury, leading to protection of the body against these insults. However, chronic inflammation forms the basis of several diseases such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, multiple sclerosis and even certain forms of cancer.

The IRC labs study the molecular mechanisms of inflammation. At the heart of this research is the investigation of molecular signaling pathways in inflammatory cells and structural cells of the skin, lung, gut and brain. We particularly focus on NF-κB, ER stress and cell death pathways and study how these are altered by disease. Research is multidisciplinary with molecular biologists, cell biologists, and bioinformaticians collaborating with clinicians.

It is the IRC's ambition to translate our basic research into innovative ways for diagnosis and therapy of human inflammatory diseases. To complement the mechanism-oriented research, IRC therefore actively supports R&D of innovative molecular biotechnological platforms. These tools offer new approaches to study the mechanisms of inflammation, and form the essential basis for novel diagnostics and therapeutics. The IRC has a track record of advanced translational biotechnology research, with several products now in clinical development. These products will soon benefit patients with Crohn's disease, allergies and lysosomal storage diseases.

Beyond borders

The VIB Center for Inflammation Research (IRC) is active within VIB and the Universities of Ghent, Brussels (VUB) and Hasselt. Many IRC units are actively involved in strategic international collaborations and alliances with high added value with academic and industrial partners. We actively collaborate within and outside the IRC to accelerate interdisciplinary discoveries. We aim to translate the acquired basic knowledge into economic value and have created three spin-off companies in the past.

Funding & partners

Our research is supported by the Flemish government and several (inter)national funding bodies but also by numerous charity organizations that recognize the importance of combining fundamental and clinical research to generate therapeutic breakthroughs.

Ghent University VIB FWO Fondation Charcot Stichting Odysseus

Stichting tegen Kanker Belspo Koning Boudewijnstichting G.S.K.E.

Worldwide Cancer Research Oxyrane EMBO Nestle

National Institute of Health Sanofi Pasteur European Union CSBGZ