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 mimetics, 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):
a) CLL genetics and molecular diagnostics (Dept of Clinical Genetics)
b) The leukemic microenvironment and novel drugs (Dept of Pathology - LYMMCARE)
c) Interaction between the immune system and CLL (Dept of Hematology - VUmc)
d) Metabolism and cell stress in B cell malignancies (Lab of Genetic Metabolic Diseases)
News
Latest grant: TKI-IXA grant 2021 CLOSIT CLL Lymph node Organoids for Screens and Intelligent Testing - With bioinformatician dr Perry Moerland from Dept. of Epidemiology and Data Science, partners Astra Zeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb. Project aims to develop 3D CLL organoids to faithfully mimic the leukemic microenvironment in CLL patient's lymh nodes, and provide a scalable platform for full molecular characterization, drug screens and AI-based modeling.
Groupmembers
Several of our PhD students are members of (inter)national consortia, as indicated.
Faculty
Prof. dr. Eric Eldering PhD (photo)
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 Montironi MSc (METACAN - https://www.metacan.eu/)
Elena Camerini MSc
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
Jamie Lee Roos
Marjolein Dijkema
Biobank technicians
Dennis de Rooij
Ilse Ligtenberg
Antoinet Schoonderwoerd
Bianca van Driel
Biobank coordinator
Julie Dubois MD PhD
Key publications of last 3 years
1. Negligible role of TRAIL death receptors in cell death upon endoplasmic reticulum stress in B-cell malignancies. Favaro F, Both D, Derks IAM, Spaargaren M, Muñoz-Pinedo C, Eldering E.
Oncogenesis. 2023 Feb 8;12(1):6.
2. JAK-STAT signalling shapes the NF-κB response in CLL towards venetoclax sensitivity or resistance via Bcl-XL. Haselager MV, Thijssen R, Bax D, Both D, De Boer F, Mackay S, Dubois J, Mellink C, Kater AP, Eldering E.
Mol Oncol. 2022 Dec 22. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.13364. Online ahead of print.
3. SMG1, a nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) regulator, as a candidate therapeutic target in multiple myeloma. Leeksma AC, Derks IAM, Garrick B, Jongejan A, Colombo M, Bloedjes T, Trowe T, Leisten JC, Howarth M, Malek M, Mortensen DS, Blease K, Groza MC, Narla RK, Loos R, Kersten MJ, Moerland PD, Guikema JEJ, Kater AP, Eldering E, Filvaroff EH.
Mol Oncol. 2023 Feb;17(2):284-297.
4. Characterization of metabolic alterations of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the lymph node microenvironment. Chen Z, Simon-Molas H, Cretenet G, Valle-Argos B, Smith LD, Forconi F, Schomakers BV, van Weeghel M, Bryant DJ, van Bruggen JAC, Peters FS, Rathmell JC, van der Windt GJW, Kater AP, Packham G, Eldering E.
Blood. 2022 Aug 11;140(6):630-643.
5. Combined ibrutinib and venetoclax treatment vs single agents in the TCL1 mouse model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Kater AP, Slinger E, Cretenet G, Martens AW, Balasubramanian S, Leverson JD, Eldering E. Blood Adv. 2021 Dec 14;5(23):5410-5414.
6. Regulation of Bcl-XL by non-canonical NF-κB in the context of CD40-induced drug resistance in CLL. Haselager M, Thijssen R, West C, Young L, Van Kampen R, Willmore E, Mackay S, Kater A, Eldering E.
Cell Death Differ. 2021 May;28(5):1658-1668.
7. Proliferative Signals in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia; What Are We Missing? Haselager MV, Kater AP, Eldering E.
Front Oncol. 2020 Oct 8;10:592205. Review.
8. Changes in Bcl-2 members after ibrutinib or venetoclax uncover functional hierarchy in determining resistance to venetoclax in CLL. Haselager MV, Kielbassa K, Ter Burg J, Bax DJC, Fernandes SM, Borst J, Tam C, Forconi F, Chiodin G, Brown JR, Dubois J, Kater AP, Eldering E.
Blood. 2020 Dec 17;136(25):2918-2926.
9. Eomes broadens the scope of CD8 T-cell memory by inhibiting apoptosis in cells of low affinity. Kavazović I, Han H, Balzaretti G, Slinger E, Lemmermann NAW, Ten Brinke A, Merkler D, Koster J, Bryceson YT, de Vries N, Jonjić S, Klarenbeek PL, Polić B, Eldering E, Wensveen FM.
PLoS Biol. 2020 Mar 17;18(3):e3000648.
10. Dissection of the Effects of JAK and BTK Inhibitors on the Functionality of Healthy and Malignant Lymphocytes. Hofland T, de Weerdt I, Ter Burg H, de Boer R, Tannheimer S, Tonino SH, Kater AP, Eldering E.
J Immunol. 2019 Oct 15;203(8):2100-2109.