Specialization
Immuno-Hematology
Focus of research
Short Biosketch PI:
Eric Eldering was trained as molecular biologist/biochemist at the University of Amsterdam (PhD 1992). His research group at the Department of Experimental Immunology was formed in 2002, and he became Professor of Molecular Immuno-Hematology in 2012. Initially studying apoptosis regulation in normal and pathological immune cells, this had expanded to include wider fundamental and translational aspects in Immuno-Hematology, with focus on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL).
The group is currently led together with hematologist Arnon Kater, and is positioned as the foremost CLL center in the Netherlands, and is internationally well recognized. We maintain a biobank of CLL and other B cell malignancies. We regularly partner with pharmaceutical companies in collaborative projects to investigate novel anti-cancer drugs.
Focus of Research:
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is of crucial importance in the immune system and in cancer, and remains a pillar of our research. We study Bcl-2 family members in B cell malignancies, novel drugs such as kinase inhibitors and BH3 mimetcis, and drug resistance mechanisms.
In recent years, we shifted towards immunometabolism, with focus on the intrinsic metabolic changes in CLL as well as the impact of malignant cells on (CAR) T cell function and metabolism.
We study four interrelated areas (+ collaborations):
- CLL genetics and molecular diagnostics (Dept of Clinical Genetics)
- The leukemic microenvironment and novel drugs (Dept of Pathology - LYMMCARE)
- Interaction between the immune system and CLL (Dept of Hematology - VUmc)
- Metabolism and cell stress in B cell malignancies (Lab of Genetic Metabolic Diseases)
Groupmembers:
Several of our PhD students are members of (inter)national consortia, as indicated.
Faculty
Prof. dr. Eric Eldering PhD
Prof. dr. Arnon P.Kater MD PhD
Postdocs
Fleur Peters PhD
Helga Simon Molas PhD
Marco Haselager PhD
Armando van Bruggen PhD
PhD Students
Chaja Jacobs MD MSc
Chiara Monitironi MSc (METACAN - https://www.metacan.eu/)
Francesca Favaro MSc (METACAN - https://www.metacan.eu/)
Karoline Kielbassa MSc. - (Target to B! - https://www.target-to-b.nl/about/)
Zhenghao Chen MSc
Research technicians
Ing. Ingrid Derks
Joanne Rietveld
Gaspard Cretenet
Vacancy
Biobank technicians
Dennis de Rooij
Ilse Ligtenberg
Antoinet Schoonderwoerd
Bianca van Driel
Biobank coordinator
Julie Dubois MD PhD