Baukje Schotanus

“Results found in dogs could lead to new treatments for humans"

Baukje Schotanus is a vet and researches liver stem cells at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. As part of her PhD work she discovered activation mechanisms to promote the growth and development of stem cells in humans and animals. Her research focuses on the use of liver stem cells in the development of new treatments for liver disease, based on studies of dogs. Her research includes experiments with cultivated liver stem cells, and Schotanus has been able to shed light on some of the processes by which stem cells are driven to replicate and develop.

“We urgently need new ways of treating liver disease"

The discovery of the processes by which liver stem cells are encouraged to replicate and how these cells migrate to the damaged area offers hope to people and animals with irreparable liver damage. Because Schotanus’s research is based on dogs, its findings substantially reduce the risks of applying new treatment methods to humans. Dogs themselves also benefit, because viable treatment methods for dogs with liver disease can also be introduced.