NAmur Research Institute for LIfe Sciences
Johann Morelle
Kidney disease & Peritoneal dialysis
Prof. Johann Morelle MD, PhD
Prof. Johann Morelle MD, PhDCHU UCL Namur, Site Godinne, Department of Nephrology
de Duve Institute, UCLouvain
ORCID | ResearchGate | LinkedIn
Expertise and research interests
Prof. Johann Morelle is a nephrologist and Professor of Medicine and Nephrology at UCLouvain.
From 2010 to 2023, he works at the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc in Brussels. His clinical expertise encompasses immune-mediated kidney diseases (such as glomerular diseases and thrombotic microangiopathies/hemolytic uremic syndrome), chronic kidney disease, and home dialysis techniques. Alongside his clinical practice, Johann Morelle has also developped expertise in translational research at the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC) at UCLouvain, in the group led by Prof. Olivier Devuyst. Using a multidisciplinary approach including studies on patients, mouse and cellular models of peritoneal dialysis, and human and mouse genetics, the group investigates the mechanisms underlying renal diseases and the pathophysiology of peritoneal transport. In that line, Johann Morelle has contributed to elucidate the mechanisms of osmosis and the role of water channels in peritoneal dialysis; to establish the link between vascular proliferation or fibrosis and loss of ultrafiltration; to unravel the molecular mechanisms of the immune response during acute peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis and their impact on membrane integrity and transport; and to delineate the role of genetic factors to explain individual variability in transport parameters.
End 2023, Johann Morelle was awarded a Scientific Prize from the AstraZeneca Foundation in the category "New developments in the pathophysiology and treatment of auto-immune disease“. This prize recognizes his work in identifying some of the autoantibodies responsible for kidney disease. His discoveries are paving the way for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to personalised medicine for autoimmune kidney diseases.
Since January 2024, Johann Morelle joined the Department of Nephrology of the CHU UCL Namur and now works as a physician-scientist at de Duve Institute, UCLouvain.
Research projects
- Mechanisms and regulation of water transport across the peritoneal membrane. PhD thesis defended by Johann Morelle on 16/12/2016. Under co-supervision by Prof. Olivier Devuyst and Prof. Eric Goffin, UCLouvain.
Selected publications
Van Regemorter E, Zorzi G, Scohy A, Gruson D, Morelle J. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on temporal trends of biological indicators of autoimmunity. J Transl Autoimmun. 2023 Nov 29;7:100222.
Morelle J, Lambie M, Öberg CM, Davies S. The Peritoneal Membrane and its Role in Peritoneal Dialysis. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2023 Aug 24;19(2):244–53.
Oguz F, Demoulin N, Thissen JP, Jadoul M, Morelle J. Inhibition of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. Acta Clin Belg. 2022 Aug;77(4):805-814.
Dewulf JP, Martin M, Marie S, Oguz F, Belkhir L, De Greef J, Yombi JC, Wittebole X, Laterre PF, Jadoul M, Gatto L, Bommer GT, Morelle J. Urine metabolomics links dysregulation of the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway to inflammation and severity of COVID-19. Sci Rep. 2022 Jun 15;12(1):9959.
Morelle J, Caza T, Debiec H, Aydin S, Storey A, Ronco P, Larsen C. Cubilin and amnionless protein are novel target antigens in anti-brush border antibody disease. Kidney Int. 2022 May;101(5):1063-1068.
Morelle J, Marechal C, Yu Z, Debaix H, Corre T, Lambie M, Verduijn M, Dekker F, Bovy P, Evenepoel P, Bammens B, Selgas R, Bajo MA, Coester AM, Sow A, Hautem N, Struijk DG, Krediet RT, Balligand JL, Goffin E, Crott R, Ripoche P, Davies S, Devuyst O. AQP1 Promoter Variant, Water Transport, and Outcomes in Peritoneal Dialysis. N Engl J Med. 2021 Oct 21;385(17):1570-1580.
Demoulin N, Scohy A, Gillion V, Godefroid N, Jadoul M, Morelle J. Low rates of humoral response to BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with immune-mediated kidney diseases treated with rituximab. Clin Kidney J. 2021 Jun 11;14(9):2132-2133.
Morelle J, Stachowska-Pietka J, Öberg C, Gadola L, La Milia V, Yu Z, Lambie M, Mehrotra R, de Arteaga J, Davies S. ISPD recommendations for the evaluation of peritoneal membrane dysfunction in adults: Classification, measurement, interpretation and rationale for intervention. Perit Dial Int. 2021 Jul;41(4):352-372.
Werion A, Belkhir L, Perrot M, Schmit G, Aydin S, Chen Z, Penaloza A, De Greef J, Yildiz H, Pothen L, Yombi JC, Dewulf J, Scohy A, Gérard L, Wittebole X, Laterre PF, Miller SE, Devuyst O, Jadoul M, Morelle J; Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc (CUSL) COVID-19 Research Group. SARS-CoV-2 causes a specific dysfunction of the kidney proximal tubule. Kidney Int. 2020 Nov;98(5):1296-1307.
Ghislain L, Aydin S, Marot L, Demoulin N, Morelle J. Mechanisms of kidney disease in Sneddon's syndrome: Case report and literature review . Clin Nephrol. 2020 Apr;93(4):209-214.
Keddar M, Muylle T, Carrie E, Trefois P, Nachit M, Crott R, Christiaens C, Bammens B, Jadoul M, Goffin E, Morelle J. Non-invasive Quantification of Fat Deposits in Skeletal Muscle Predicts Cardiovascular Outcome in Kidney Failure. Front Physiol. 2020 Feb 25;11:130.
Clause AL, Keddar M, Crott R, Darius T, Fillee C, Goffin E, Morelle J. A Large Intraperitoneal Residual Volume Hampers Adequate Volumetric Assessment of Osmotic Conductance to Glucose. Perit Dial Int. 2018 Sep-Oct;38(5):356-362.
Morelle J, Sow A, Fustin CA, Fillée C, Garcia-Lopez E, Lindholm B, Goffin E, Vandemaele F, Rippe B, Öberg CM, Devuyst O. Mechanisms of Crystalloid versus Colloid Osmosis across the Peritoneal Membrane. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2018 Jul;29(7):1875-1886.
Constantinescu SM, Buysschaert B, Haufroid V, Broly F, Jadoul M, Morelle J. Chronic dialysis, NAT2 polymorphisms, and the risk of isoniazid-induced encephalopathy - case report and literature review. BMC Nephrol. 2017 Sep 4;18(1):282.
Morelle J, Sow A, Hautem N, Bouzin C, Crott R, Devuyst O, Goffin E. Interstitial Fibrosis Restricts Osmotic Water Transport in Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2015 Oct;26(10):2521-33.
Morelle J, Devuyst O. Water and solute transport across the peritoneal membrane. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2015 Sep;24(5):434-43.
Cecere N, Goffette P, Deprez P, Jadoul M, Morelle J. Renovascular acute renal failure precipitated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for pancreatic stones. Clin Kidney J. 2015 Aug;8(4):426-9.
Morelle J, Sow A, Vertommen D, Jamar F, Rippe B, Devuyst O. Quantification of osmotic water transport in vivo using fluorescent albumin. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2014 Oct 15;307(8):F981-9.
