Jaar: 2018
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A matter of regulatory T cell stability: challenge and opportunity.
T cells can protect our body very specifically against pathogens. However, sometimes these cells turn against our own body. This is referred to as autoimmunity. This is usually prevented by a special type of T cells, known as regulatory T…
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Disease in a dish: Modelling Von Willebrand disease with patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells.
In this project we wanted to look into the mechanism behind von Willebrand disease (VWD). This is the most commonly diagnosed bleeding disorder and will effect ~1:10,000 people. In this disorder, there are defects in the levels of functional von…
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How tumor glycosphingolipids shield surface receptors from the immune system.
Cells in our body communicate through interactions between proteins on their surfaces. The immune system uses this to eliminate tumor cells. Cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) can kill a tumor if an MHC protein on a tumor cell presents pieces of…
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How tumor glycosphingolipids shield surface receptors from the immune system.
Cells in the body can communicate through protein-protein interactions. This process is essential for immune responses against viruses and cancer, but also in autoimmunity. In my lab, we recently discovered that certain glycolipids on the surface of cells can shield…
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Maintaining vascular integrity during intravasation events: the endothelium in control.
This project has been successfully completed, including the PhD defence of Lanette Kempers (thesis: A vascular affair, UvA, 28 September 2022). In particular, the development of the blood vessel on a chip proved to be a fruitful track. With that…
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Regulatory T cells carry an iron harness to protect their identity.
Regulatory T cells are important to suppress unwanted immune responses. Infusion of Tregs can be used for therapeutic purposes, such as to suppress inflammatory diseases and transplantation reactions. We have found an unexpected role for iron metabolism in these cells.…