Katrien Remaut

Main research interest are ocular delivery of nucleic acids like messenger RNA, siRNA and antisense oligonucleotides and the use of advanced fluorescence microscopy methods like Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) to elucidate physicochemical properties and extracellular and intracellular barriers to non-viral nanoparticles. Importantly, this team developed an ex vivo retinal explant from bovine eyes which keeps the vitreous and inner limiting membrane (ILM) intact during dissection. Furthermore, the team has access to bovine and human eyes and can determine the mobility of nanoparticles in the vitreous of these intact eyes. This allows to evaluate the potential of intravitreally injected nanoparticles to deliver therapeutics to the retina. Current focus of the team lies in the development of non-inflammatory nanoparticles for mRNA delivery to the inner retina and the use of photoporation as light-based method to enhance the permeability of nanoparticles over the ILM. Furthermore, Katrien is also active in the nebulization of controlled release formulations to treat peritoneal carcinomatosis, where she focuses on enhancing the residence time of therapeutics in the peritoneal cavity and activating the patient’s own immune system in the fight against cancer. This team co-operates with the UZGhent University Hospital, the Department of Pharmaceutics of Utrecht University, the Institute de la vision in Paris, Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart, the Institute of Neurosciences in Montpellier, the Department of Ophthalmology from the University of Auckland and the Gene Therapy Unit of Radboud University Medical Center.