- Gillissen Marijn A., Kedde Martijn, Jong Greta de, Moiset Gemma, Yasuda Etsuko, Levie Sophie E., Bakker Arjen Q., Claassen Yvonne B., Wagner Koen, Böhne Martino, Hensbergen Paul J., Speijer Dave, van Helden Pauline M., Beaumont Tim, Spits Hergen, Hazenberg Mette D. AML-specific cytotoxic antibodies in patients with durable graft-versus-leukemia responses Blood 2018;131 (1):131-143 [PubMed]
- Gillissen Marijn A., de Jong Greta, Kedde Martijn, Yasuda Etsuko, Levie Sophie E., Moiset Gemma, Hensbergen Paul J., Bakker Arjen Q., Wagner Koen, Villaudy Jullien, van Helden Pauline M., Spits Hergen, Hazenberg Mette D. Patient-derived antibody recognizes a unique CD43 epitope expressed on all AML and has antileukemia activity in mice Blood advances 2017;1 (19):1551-1564 [PubMed]
- Munneke J. Marius, Björklund Andreas T., Mjösberg Jenny M., Garming-Legert Karin, Bernink Jochem H., Blom Bianca, Huisman Cynthia, van Oers Marinus H. J., Spits Hergen, Malmberg Karl-Johan, Hazenberg Mette D. Activated innate lymphoid cells are associated with a reduced susceptibility to graft-versus-host disease Blood 2014;124 (5):812-821 [PubMed]
- Hazenberg Mette D., Spits Hergen Human innate lymphoid cells Blood 2014;124 (5):700-709 [PubMed]
- Gillissen M. A., de Jong G., Levie S. E., Yasuda E., Bakker A. Q., Evers L. M., Pals S. T., Huisman C., van Helden P. M., Spits H., Hazenberg M. D. AML relapse after rituximab treatment for GvHD: crucial role for B cells in GvL responses Bone marrow transplantation 2016;51 (9):1245-1248 [PubMed]
MD PhD M.D. Hazenberg (Innate and adaptive immunity following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation)
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an important therapeutic tool to cure patients with hematological malignancies because of the potent graft versus tumor (leukemia, lymphoma) effect it induces. HSCT is however frequently complicated by GvHD (about 70% of patients) and opportunistic infections. These complications are the cause of the typical high HSCT-associated morbidity, profoundly affecting the quality of life of HSCT recipients, and accounting for the high transplantation-related mortality - up to 30% - that characterizes allogeneic HSCT.
The overal aim of the research in my group is to gain a fundamental understanding of the immunological processes that determine curative anti/tumor immune responses after allogeneic HSCT. One line of research focuses on the role of B lymphocytes in the induction of GvHD and GvL reactivity and has led to the highly exciting and paradigm-shifting finding that patients with strong anti-leukemic activity generate AML-specific B cells that produce leukemic blasts killing antibodies. A second line of research involves the immunology of GvHD. We found that innate lymphoid cells (ILC) have epithelial tissue protective effects in patients who received an allogeneic HSCT, and we are currently studying ILC reconstitution and ILC function after allogeneic HSCT iin more detail. A third line of research concerns the role of the microbiome in GvHD pathopfysiology and ways to recover microbiome damage in patients who received an allogeneic HSCT.
Funding: NWO Clinical Fellowship, NWO VIDI/Aspasia, LSBR Fellowship, KWF
Faculty
PhD B. Blom
Postdocs
PhD G. Moiset
PhD M.M. Shikhagaie
PhD V. van Hoeven
Others
MSc N.J.E. Haverkate
Prof. PhD M.H.J. van Oers (Pathogenesis and Immunotherapy of B cell malignancies)
- AMC
- Landsteiner Stichting voor Bloedtransfusie Research
- Rientjes & Partners
- Stichting AMC Foundation (Vrijgesteld)
- ZonMw