The PEDI unit includes
The Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cellular Therapy (IREC, PEDI pole)
The Pediatric Clinical Investigation Center (CICP)
The IREC Immunology platform in constitution.
The Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cellular Therapy is active in the following fields:
- Cellular therapy of metabolic liver diseases, by hepatocyte transplantation
- Hepatocyte differentiation of adult stem cells: liver, marrow, umbilical cord
- Hepatic tissue repair by adult stem cells
- Viral hepatitis B & C in children
- Research in allergology: immunology of the newborn and the healthy and allergic child, risk factors for the development of allergy
- Research on EBV-related lymphoproliferative syndromes; development (collaboration) of an anti EBV vaccine
- Immunology of cell transplantation: immunotolerance and cell rejection
- Cellular biodistribution
- Animal models of liver regenerative medicine
Establishment of a biotech company, Promethera Biosciences, specialized in the treatment of liver diseases by stem cells.
The CICP organizes clinical drug trials in children and offers a broad expertise in all areas of pediatrics. It is linked to the laboratory and the clinical department of St Luc.