W.J. Bakker PhD

foto

PhD W.J. Bakker

Position
Assistant Professor
Main activities
Research
Specialisation
Hypoxia / Gene expression / Cancer Biology / Tumor angiogenesis / Immunology
Focus of research

Tumor hypoxia is a hallmark of solid tumor development and an adverse prognostic factor as it promotes metastasis, as well as resistance to radio- and chemotherapy, and importantly also to immunotherapy. Tumor hypoxia, resulting from an instable and malfunctioning tumor vasculature, induces resistance to immunotherapy by promoting the formation of an immune suppressive tumor micro-environment. Recently we identified the hypoxia-induced HIF1-E2F7 transcription complex, involved in the regulation of tumor development and angiogenesis, and we are currently exploring if the hypoxia-induced immune suppressive tumor environment can by targeted through this novel complex.     

 

Amsterdam UMC Research Institutes
AMC departments
Key publications
  • Weijts B. G. M. W., Westendorp B., Hien B. T., Martínez-López L. M., Zijp M., Thurlings I., Thomas R. E., Schulte-Merker S., Bakker W. J., de Bruin A. Atypical E2Fs inhibit tumor angiogenesis Oncogene 2018;37 (2):271-276 [PubMed]
  • de Bruin Alain, Cornelissen Peter W. A., Kirchmaier Bettina C., Mokry Michal, Iich Elhadi, Nirmala Ella, Liang Kuo-Hsuan, D Végh Anna M., Scholman Koen T., Groot Koerkamp Marian J., Holstege Frank C., Cuppen Edwin, Schulte-Merker Stefan, Bakker Walbert J. Genome-wide analysis reveals NRP1 as a direct HIF1 alpha-E2F7 target in the regulation of motorneuron guidance in vivo Nucleic acids research 2016;44 (8):3549-3566 [PubMed]
  • Weijts Bart G. M. W., Bakker Walbert J., Cornelissen Peter W. A., Liang Kuo-Hsuan, Schaftenaar Frank H., Westendorp Bart, de Wolf Charlotte A. C. M. T., Paciejewska Maya, Scheele Colinda L. G. J., Kent Lindsey, Leone Gustavo, Schulte-Merker Stefan, de Bruin Alain E2F7 and E2F8 promote angiogenesis through transcriptional activation of VEGFA in cooperation with HIF1 EMBO journal 2012;31 (19):3871-3884 [PubMed]
  • Zaugg Kathrin, Yao Yi, Reilly Patrick T., Kannan Karuppiah, Kiarash Reza, Mason Jacqueline, Huang Ping, Sawyer Suzanne K., Fuerth Benjamin, Faubert Brandon, Kalliomäki Tuula, Elia Andrew, Luo Xunyi, Nadeem Vincent, Bungard David, Yalavarthi Sireesha, Growney Joseph D., Wakeham Andrew, Moolani Yasmin, Silvester Jennifer, ten Annick You, Bakker Walbert, Tsuchihara Katsuya, Berger Shelley L., Hill Richard P., Jones Russell G., Tsao Ming, Robinson Murray O., Thompson Craig B., Pan Guohua, Mak Tak W. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1C promotes cell survival and tumor growth under conditions of metabolic stress Genes & development 2011;25 (10):1041-1051 [PubMed]
  • Bakker Walbert J., Harris Isaac S., Mak Tak W. FOXO3a is activated in response to hypoxic stress and inhibits HIF1-induced apoptosis via regulation of CITED2 Molecular cell 2007;28 (6):941-953 [PubMed]
All Publications
Research programmes

Prof. PhD R.M. Luiten (Pigment cell disorders of the skin)

Current PhD Candidates