The immune sytem protects our body against infectious diseases caused by bacterias, viruses and fungi. Vaccines can help the immune system.
Vote for the Amsterdam UMC Societal Impact Award 2024We are pleased to invite you to vote for this year’s Amsterdam UMC Societal Impact Award, where researchers who have made a significant societal impact are celebrated. Among the three outstanding nominees is our very own Prof. Dr. Henry de Vries whose groundbreaking work in sex-positive healthcare is changing the way we approach sexual health and STI consultations.
Raising Health Concerns over Gel PolishThe number of nail salons in Amsterdam has surged, tripling over the past decade as gel nails have become a mainstay of beauty routines across all demographics. Yet, this booming trend carries hidden dangers. Prof. Thomas Rustemeyer, Professor of Dermato-Allergology and Occupational Dermatology at Amsterdam UMC, has spent three decades researching acrylate allergies and is sounding the alarm. "The glossy, long-lasting appeal of gel polish masks the risk of a lifelong allergy," he warns.
Phase Two results with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing support further development as treatment for hereditary angioedemaA single treatment with, a CRISPR-Cas9 based gene editing therapy, is enough to replace the daily medication of patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE), a condition characterized by severe, painful and sudden onset of swelling, sometimes resulting in death. Confirming the findings published earlier this year from researchers from Amsterdam UMC, the University of Auckland and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This phase two study is published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology's annual congress on the 26th of October.
A step forward in the battle against MRSAStaphylococcus aureus, mostly known from its antibiotic-resistant variant Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is among the leading causes of both community- and hospital-acquired infections. According to the most recent data, MRSA killed around 120,000 people in 2022 globally and far more are killed by antibiotic-susceptible strains of S. aureus. So far however, all attempts at developing a protective vaccine for S. aureus have been unsuccessful. Research from Amsterdam UMC, in collaboration with UMC Utrecht, Leiden University, and the University of California, San Diego, have discovered an important immune component that offers protection against infection, suggesting a new direction for the future. These results are published today in Cell Reports Medicine.
Fewer good gut bacteria increase the risk of serious infectionThe composition of the intestinal flora can predict the chances of developing serious infections such as pneumonia. Researchers from Amsterdam UMC and the University of Turku, Finland, followed more than 10,000 people for 6 years. More than 600 people who had less healthy intestinal flora developed a serious infection, with this leading in some cases to death. The results of the study are published today in The Lancet Microbe.
Anatomsiche Les 2023: A molecular anatomy lesson 391 years ago, in the centre of Amsterdam, Nicolaes Tulp presented an arm's worth of tendons to his audience. One of which was Rembrandt van Rijn. What followed was one of the Dutch artist's masterpieces, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. Fast forward to November 2023, when Professor Iain McInnes will present his own arm's worth of tendons and deliver Amsterdam UMC's 30th Anatomy Lesson.
The thymus appears to be more important than previously thoughtAn organ no larger than a walnut, which until recently was believed to have no function in adults. We're talking about the thymus. Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that this small organ is more important than previosly thought. Associate professor and immunologist Joke den Haan shares her insights in an interview with NPO Radio 1's 'De Nieuws BV.'
Bottom reached in restrictive blood transfusion policy The trend in hospitals and guidelines is to be more and more cautious with blood transfusions. Due to side effects associated with blood transfusion and the increasing scarcity and costs of blood products. For example, in recent years the number of patients receiving a transfusion during their ICU admission has halved. Researchers from Amsterdam UMC, in collaboration with eight other Dutch hospitals and funded ZonMW, have shown that being increasingly restrictive in preventive blood transfusion is not, in all cases, understandable. The results of this study are published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Combination therapy outperforms chemotherapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia Chemotherapy has been the most effective treatment to date for young and fit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The disease is the most common form of leukaemia in the Western world, causing a substantial health burden on patients and society. It is currently incurable. Research led by researchers from Cologne University, Amsterdam UMC and Copenhagen University, now shows that a chemofree drug-combination therapy is more effective and produces fewer side effects. The results of this study are published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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