B.A. Wevers MSc

MSc B.A. Wevers

Position: Research Associate
Main activities: Research
Specialisation: Molecular biology, signal transduction, innate immunology
Focus of research: Antifungal immunity. Opportunistic fungi represent a serious health problem by causing systemic life-threatening infections in individuals who are immune compromised, including HIV-1/AIDS and cancer patients. Effective phagocytic clearance of fungal pathogens requires intact Th-17 and Th1 immune responses, for mobilization and activation of neutrophils, respectively. Recognition of fungal cell wall carbohydrates by C-type lectins on human dendritic cells and subsequent cytokine production is crucial for the orchestration of protective T helper cell polarization. We are identifying C-type lectins that interact with different fungal species and how these C-type lectins induce adaptive immunity. In particular we are investigating signaling by C-type lectins such as dectin-1 and dectin-2.

Amsterdam UMC Research Institutes

AMC departments

Gringhuis Sonja I., Wevers Brigitte A., Kaptein Tanja M., van Capel Toni M. M., Theelen Bart, Boekhout Teun, de Jong Esther C., Geijtenbeek Teunis B. H. Selective C-Rel Activation via Malt1 Controls Anti-Fungal T-H-17 Immunity by Dectin-1 and Dectin-2 PLoS pathogens 2011;7 (1):e1001259 [PubMed]
Gringhuis Sonja I., den Dunnen Jeroen, Litjens Manja, van der Vlist Michiel, Wevers Brigitte, Bruijns Sven C. M., Geijtenbeek Teunis B. H. Dectin-1 directs T helper cell differentiation by controlling noncanonical NF-kappaB activation through Raf-1 and Syk Nature immunology 2009;10 (2):203-213 [PubMed]