News

UZ Leuven largest centre in Belgium for life-saving PEA treatment

17 July 2024

UZ Leuven saccounts for the largest number of pulmonary endarteriectomies in Belgium, with remarkably good survival rates. The cardio-surgeons and pulmonologists involved nurture an ambitious vision for the future: centralise the procedure even more and aim for at least 33 operations a year.

Radioligand therapy is gaining momentum

19 June 2024

UZ Leuven uses radioligand therapy for metastatic neuroendocrine tumours and in patients with advanced prostate cancer who were no longer experiencing any effect from conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Investment support for UZ Leuven construction projects

6 June 2024

The Flemish government informed the press today that UZ Leuven can count on 14.7 million annual investment support for important infrastructure works. There are new building projects in the pipeline in Leuven that are important for both patients and staff.

New biomarker predicts success of immunotherapy in kidney cancer

21 May 2024

Immunotherapy increases survival rates in kidney cancer, but does not work for everyone. A Leuven research team developed a new method to predict which patients will benefit from it. Their study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, also opens new avenues to even more effective treatments.

First results gene therapy for frontotemporal degeneration are promising

14 May 2024

UZ Leuven has been collaborating on an internationl clinical study on gene replacement in FTD with progranulin mutation.

Cancer radiation during pregnancy safe for unborn child

18 April 2024

Cancer radiation during pregnancy is safe for the unborn child, a long-term study from UZ Leuven has shown. The research team brings long-term results of the psychological and physical impact on a child after radiotherapy in the mother during pregnancy for the first time.

New treatment successful for therapy-resistant ovarian cancer

4 April 2024

An international study led by UZ Leuven shows that ovarian cancer patients that are treated with an antibody in combination with chemotherapy survive longer than after a treatment with classic chemotherapy. This finding is a big step in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

UZ Leuven and CHU Luik to become external breast milk bank

19 March 2024

Belgium is getting two external breast milk banks: one at UZ Leuven and one at CHU Luik. These donor banks will not only help premature babies on their way in their own hospital, but also to provide other hospitals in Flanders and Wallonia with breast milk in future.

Role of pre-TCR-alfa in immunodeficiency further unraveled

8 March 2024

Leuven doctors colloborated on an international study that discovered that mutations in the gene for pre-TCR-α can lead to immunodeficencies and auto-immune diseases in some carriers. The results have been published in the scientific journal Science.

UZ Leuven best Belgian hospital in top 20 in Europe according to Newsweek ranking

5 March 2024

For the sixth year in a row, the American magazine Newsweek and the data platform Statista drew up a list of the world's best hospitals: World's Best Hospitals 2024. In it, UZ Leuven is the first Belgian hospital in position 44, achieving a top score of 93.17%.

‘Mini lungs’ from amniotic fluid cells predict the success of lung surgery in foetus

4 March 2024

Researchers from London and Leuven were able to make organoids from amniotic fluid for the first time. This allows them to predict how the organs if an unborn baby will react right after being born. Organoïds are threedimensional ‘mini-organs’ in a culture dish, mimic the structure and function of the organs from which they originate. UZ Leuven wants to use this technique in future to better predict how the lungs of an unborn baby will react to a surgical procedure in the uterus.

Rare diseases day

29 February 2024

On 29 February, literally a rare day, there is worldwide attention for rare diseases. In Belgium, more than half a million people suffer from a rare disorder. Read the stories of Fleur (21) and Seth (4), who have been monitored at UZ Leuven since childhood.