
HYPIEND partner Hugo Vankelecom from KU Leuven presented their work on pituitary stem cells and organoids at the ISSCR 2024 Annual Meeting held in Hamburg, Germany, from July 10 to 13.
The talk delved into KU Leuven’s study of the mouse endocrine pituitary across key stages of life in both health and disease. HYPIEND was mentioned as one of the projects in which this technology is used to study the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).
Hugo Vankelecom’s talk “Overarching single-cell map and stem cell landscape of the mouse endocrine pituitary across key time points of life in health and disease” was part of a session that explored the dynamic interplay between stem cells, their progeny, and niche cells in maintaining and repairing tissue architecture.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting brings together leading experts in stem cell research and regenerative medicine to share groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in the field.
KU Leuven contributions to HYPIEND include delivering beyond state-of-the-art organoid/organ(oid)-on-chip (OoC) models of the endocrine hypothalamus-pituitary axis to study the impact of EDCs. Additionally, KU Leuven will also conduct a multinational trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a behavioural intervention to reduce the levels of EDCs in pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as in their offspring up to 18 months after birth.