The European Commission confirmed its support to three new research projects involving the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) submitted within the framework of the Horizon 2020 call “Innovative and rapid health-related approaches to respond to COVID-19 and to deliver quick results for society for a higher level of preparedness of health systems” (SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2). The projects aim to foster the development of a novel diagnostic test and improve the cooperation between European and international cohorts to strengthen the response to the pandemic. The total funding for the studies amounts to EUR 26.2 million.

The University of Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) announce the signing of mutual bilateral cooperation agreements between the University and LIH and between the University and LIST.

Launched under the aegis of the Research Luxembourg COVID-19 Task Force on April 24th, “Predi-COVID ” is a cohort study promoted by the Luxembourg Institute of Health that aims to identify the key risk factors and biomarkers associated with COVID-19 severity and comprehend the long-term health consequences of the disease. Predi-COVID will contribute to a better understanding of the heterogeneity observed in disease severity and prognosis, ultimately enabling the accurate evaluation of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and more personalised care recommendations. The protocol of the study was published on November 24th in the ‘British Medical Journal Open’, reinforcing the international visibility and success of this highly collaborative “Made in Luxembourg” project.

On November 18th, Clarivate™ released its annual “Highly Cited Researchers” report, recognising the pioneers in the fields of science and technology who produced multiple highly-cited papers ranking in the top 1% by citations in Web of Science™. Three Luxembourg researchers, including Dr Bohn, are featured in the 2020 edition of this prestigious international ranking.

In October 2020, the second phase of the Biomarkers in Food Allergy Diagnosis (APSIS) clinical trial was officially initiated under the coordination of the LIH Department of Infection and Immunity (DII) and in collaboration with the Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg (CHL), the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg and the Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg (IBBL). This translational study aims to explore the correlation between the clinical and immunological characteristics of allergic patients with the functional features of the gut microbiome, ultimately supporting the development of novel translational strategies for the prevention of food allergies. Dr Annette Kuehn, Principal Investigator of the study and Group Leader of the Molecular and Translational Allergology unit of the LIH Department of Infection and Immunity (DII), explains the key aspects of the project.

Launch of a study on the exposure to pollutants of children living in Luxembourg.

In a new study led by the Immune Systems Biology research group of the LIH Department of Infection and Immunity, researchers adopted a holistic machine-learning approach to elucidate how the interactions between neuronal mitochondria can serve as a powerful tool to distinguish nerve cells from Parkinson’s patients from those belonging to healthy subjects, thereby providing new insights in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of this neurodegenerative disorder. The results were published today in the renowned journal ‘Nature Partner Journals Systems Biology and Application’.

The NORLUX Neuro-Oncology Laboratory at the LIH Department of Oncology (DONC), in collaboration with the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), the Laboratoire National de Santé (LNS), the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg and other international partners, established a large collection of patient-derived glioma organoids and xenograft models that mimic the specific features of patient brain tumours. These tools will allow the establishment of personalised drug efficacy studies, thus increasing the chances of success of clinical trials and improving clinical outcomes for patients. The findings were presented in a recent publication in the international peer-reviewed journal Acta Neuropathologica.

Running is good for your health. Medical experts and the general public agree on this.