Amsterdam institute for Immunology and Infectious diseases

Recently, several prestigious prizes and grants have been awarded to our AI&I members. Learn more about these accomplished individuals and their projects in the article below!

Lupus Innovation Award – Dr. van Baarsen and Dr. Dankers

The Lupus Research Alliance awarded Dr. Lisa van Baarsen the prestigious Lupus Innovation Award (LIA). This award provides funding for scientists worldwide to develop new treatments and tools for better diagnosing and monitoring lupus, benefiting millions affected by this complex diseases.

From left to right: Postdoc Dr. Dankers and PI Dr. van Baarsen

Study background: Lupus typically affects women during their childbearing years, with pregnancies often posing higher risks of maternal complications such as preeclampsia (a severe blood pressure condition) and fetal outcomes like preterm delivery, growth restriction, and even fetal loss. Dr. van Baarsen alongside Dr. Wendy Dankers will explore how maternal-fetal tolerance – a process where the mother’s immune system accepts the growing baby as part of her own body – is disrupted in SLE. Findings from this study could improve the way we predict, treat, and prevent pregnancy complications in women with lupus.

Dr. van Baarsen: ‘I am extremely honored to receive this LRA grant to push forward our translational research study on unravelling the immunological mechanism driving pregnancy complications in lupus patients. Together with my colleagues Dr. Wendy Dankers, Dr Irene Bultink and Dr. Marjon de Boer’.

Read more.

TKI-PPP grants

The TKI-PPP grant Amsterdam UMC stimulates its researchers to perform research projects together with companies in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).

Prof. dr. Marjolein van Egmond

Prof.dr. Marjolein van Egmond received a TKI subsidy of almost €900.000 from Health Holland to investigate a new immunotherapeutic approach to treat cancer. Most immunotherapeutic approaches focus on engaging T cells for tumor cell killing. The van Egmond lab, however, identified neutrophils as additional cytotoxic effector cells, through targeting of the IgA Fc receptor (FcaRI; CD89) via bispecific antibodies. In this project, in collaboration with a Swiss-Amsterdam UMC spin-off company she aims to recruit both neutrophils and T cells as effector cells to improve immunotherapy of cancer.

Prof. dr. Marjolein van Egmond, professor in Oncology and Inflammation, PI at the Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Immunology and staff member at the Department of Surgery.

Novel molecules will be developed that can engage neutrophils and T cells at the tumor site. The mode of action of these molecules will be tested in vitro, in ex vivo human tumor fragments and in vivo. In collaboration with Dr. Joris Erdmann (Department of Surgery) and Prof.dr. Stan de Graaf (Tytgat Institute) we also aim to establish a novel human ex vivo liver metastases perfusion model to investigate efficacy of molecules in a relevant clinical setting. We expect that improved performance of immunotherapy will lead to better clinical outcome, and less futile treatments. Additionally, the development of a translational ex vivo human liver metastases model for drug testing may contribute to reduce the use of animals for preclinical studies.

Dr. Maria Themeli

Dr. Maria Themeli will receive a TKI-PPP grant (400K) to develop in collaboration with QvQ and dr Bart Westerman a CAR T cell therapy strategy to treat Glioblastoma (GBM). GBM is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, with a very poor prognosis (only 20% 2-year survival) and a high unmet clinical need. CAR T cell therapy is a promising therapeutic option for GBM and is being currently tested in clinical trials. However, there has been no significant clinical benefit and durable responses up to date. One of the major reasons for CAR-T cell clinical failure in GBM is the intra-tumor heterogeneity and/or loss of target antigen expression and the lack of CAR T cell persistence in the tumor microenvironment.

Dr. Maria Themeli, Assistant Professor at the department of Hematology

This awarded project aims to apply an innovative design of activation-inducible costimulatory receptors, recently developed in the group of dr Themeli, in combination with novel VHH binders that target B7-H3 on GBM. This novel strategy will provide a local, tumor-specific lytic capacity, overcoming heterogeneous antigen expression patterns and improving functional persistence of CAR-T cells. If successful, this project will generate not only a new treatment option for GBM but also for other solid tumors and will also generate critical knowledge for the improvement of CAR-T cell therapy for non-malignant neurological diseases.