Journal of Lung Diseases & Treatment

Teresinha Leal

Teresinha Leal
Supervisor
Louvain Centre for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (LTAP) Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC) Université catholique de Louvain Brussels, Belgium

Biography

Half-time Clinical and Basic Researcher, IREC/UCL, Brussels-Belgium
Half-time Clinical and Basic Researcher, FRSM, Brussels-Belgium
Permanent Part-time Associate Professor, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels-Belgium

Research Interest

My major research interest in the clinical field is to contribute to the biochemical diagnosis of the autosomal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis (CF). I am in charge of the supervision of the sweat test at St Luc University Hospital (~300 tests/year). Have been involved in the development and standardization of the nasal potential difference test for which I have acquired a great internationally recognized expertise.

• In the experimental field, I have developed (since 2004) a research unit in my department. Several projects are studied using a CF mouse model colony homozygous for the most common CF mutation, the F508del mutation. Briefly, the main projects consist on investigating: the underlying mechanisms of lung inflammation in CF and its modulation by azithromycin and other anti-inflammatory drugs; the pathophysiological mechanisms of CF regarding the respiratory and the gastrointestinal tract; the role of small drug molecules (selective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, resveratrol, ….) as activators of the mutant CFTR protein in CF and potential therapies for CF disease.