Member info

• FACULTY:
  VIB-UGent
• DEPARTMENT:
  Center for Inflammation Research
• RESEARCH GROUP:
  Keratinocyte microenvironment team
• FUNCTION:
  Team leader, Assistant Professor
• WORK ADDRESS:
  Technologiepark 71 9052 Zwijnaarde Belgium
• PUBLICATIONS:
  ORCID
• SUMMARY:
  My team focusses on understanding the cellular and molecular crosstalk between keratinocytes- the epithelial cells of the skin- and their microenvironment in health and disease. During injury, fast repair mechanisms are critical to maintain the skin’s barrier function and we study how epidermal stem cells communicate with fibroblasts and immune cells to orchestrate inflammation and subsequent tissue regeneration. Wound repair can however predispose tissues to cancer initiation and we aim to identify novel molecular mechanisms through which inflammation, cell death and fibrosis modulate epidermal stem cells and impact on skin regeneration and neoplasia. To dissect how intercellular crosstalk in the skin orchestrates inflammation, injury repair and/or tumour initiation, we are addressing four key questions: 1. What are the molecules that are released during cutaneous injury repair and how do they modulate regenerative and neoplastic responses? 2. Which molecular pathways control the activation of epidermal stem cells? 3. How do different modalities of keratinocyte cell death influence the skin’s tissue response? 4. Can we manipulate molecular signaling pathways in the skin to improve tissue regeneration, while preventing tumour initiation?
• EMAIL:
  Esther.Hoste@irc.vib-ugent.be
• WEBLINK:
  https://www.irc.ugent.be/index.php?id=hostehome