Our research focuses on viruses that affect the digestive system, particularly the gut and liver. We study both endemic and emerging pathogens, including hepatitis E virus, measles virus, monkeypox virus, and Oropouche virus. In parallel, we explore how viral infections interact with non-viral diseases such as fatty liver disease.
A central goal of our work is to develop and refine human organoid models, which are miniaturized, lab-grown tissues that mimic human organs. By enhancing these models with key biological features, we can better capture the complexity of viral infections and their impact on human tissues.
Over the past two decades, our research across a wide range of viral diseases has revealed an important insight: while traditional antiviral therapies are often effective for chronic infections, they are less successful in severe acute cases. In these situations, much of the damage is caused not only by the virus itself but also by an excessive immune response, leading to inflammation and tissue injury.
To address this challenge, we have developed immune-augmented organoid systems that incorporate key immune cells, such as macrophages. These advanced models allow us to better study how immune responses contribute to disease severity. Looking ahead, we will continue to use these animal-free platforms to unravel the complex interplay between viruses and the immune system, with the ultimate aim of developing more effective treatments for patients in need.
Key Publications
· Kuan Liu, Yilan Zhao, Erika M. Joloya, Benedetta Artegiani, Sina Bartfeld, Young Ki Choi, Yuling Han, Delilah Hendriks, Martin J. Hoogduijn, James E. Hudson, Luc J. W. van der Laan, Cun Li, Valeria V. Orlova, Jianhua Qin, Karine Raymond, Lisa E. Wagar, Jie Zhou, Mart M. Lamers & Qiuwei Pan*. Organoids as platforms for infectious disease research. Nature Reviews Bioengineering. (2026) https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-026-00445-3
· Liu K, Zhao Y, Wang Y, Tsikari T, Offermans DM, Li X, V Orlova V, van der Laan LJW, Pan Q*. Deciphering and targeting the pathogenic circuit of nonlytic hepatitis E virus infection using macrophage-augmented organoids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 May 19;123(20):e2603870123.
· Li P, Wang X, Zhou J, Yao Y, Wang Y, Xu G, Schraauwen R, da Silva AMG, de Henau C, Incitti R, Offermans DM, de Vries AC, Kainov DE, Alam I, Raymond K, Duarte-Neto AN, Bijvelds MJC, Pan Q*. Primary human intestinal organoids model enteric infection of monkeypox virus and enable scalable drug discovery. Science Advances. 2026 Mar 27;12(13):eaea8280.
· Li J, Wang X, Ding Y, Qin F, de Lima STS, Papamichail L, Schraauwen R, Forato J, Claro IM, Hua X, Simões Mello LM, Offermans DM, Verstegen MMA, Boter M, Peppelenbosch MP, Barbiero A, Pagani E, Janssen HLA, Telmos Silva JA, Dos Santos MNN, Pincinato EC, Proenca-Modena JL, Li P, Anas AA, van der Laan LJW, Castilletti C, Oude Munnink BB, de Souza WM, Wang W, Pan Q*. Human liver-derived organoids recapitulate Oropouche virus infection and manifestation, enabling antiviral drug discovery. Cell Reports Medicine. 2026 Mar 17;7(3):102646.
· Liu K, Wang Y, Li J, Zhou J, da Silva AMG, Suñer C, Dai Z, Schraauwen R, Boor PPC, Ober-Vliegen K, van den Hil F, Offermans DM, Tsikari T, Ayada I, Peppelenbosch MP, van Royen ME, Verstegen MMA, Wang Y, Orkin CM, Janssen HLA, Orlova VV, Li P, Mitjà O, Duarte-Neto AN, van der Laan LJW, Pan Q*. Macrophage-augmented organoids recapitulate the complex pathophysiology of viral diseases and enable development of multitarget therapeutics. Nature Biomedical Engineering. 2025 Jun 13. doi: 10.1038/s41551-025-01417-5.
· Li P, Pachis ST, Xu G, Schraauwen R, Incitti R, de Vries AC, Bruno MJ, Peppelenbosch MP, Alam I, Raymond K*, Pan Q*. Mpox virus infection and drug treatment modelled in human skin organoids. Nature Microbiology. 2023 Nov;8(11):2067-2079.
· Li P, Li Y, Wang Y, Liu J, Lavrijsen M, Li Y, Zhang R, Verstegen MMA, Wang Y, Li TC, Ma Z, Kainov DE, Bruno MJ, de Man RA, van der Laan LJW, Peppelenbosch MP, Pan Q*. Recapitulating hepatitis E virus-host interactions and facilitating antiviral drug discovery in human liver-derived organoids. Science Advances. 2022 Jan 21;8(3):eabj5908.
A complete overview of publications can be found on PubMed