Specialization
Immunological research
Focus of research
My PhD project is part of a Netherlands-wide consortium looking into immune modulation of dendritic cells with the use of nanoparticles. As a member of Prof. Esther de Jong's research group I look into options of tolerizing dendritic cells by adding nanoparticles to the cells, containing immune tolerogenic adjuvants and auto-immune relevant antigens. At the end of my PhD project I should have contributed to in vitro optimization of tolerance inducing nanoparticles to the extent that the product can be applied in clinical studies. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a dendritic cell targeting vaccine, where the tolerizing nanaoparticles can be directly injected in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune conditions.