The major themes of the current research are "Growth and differentiation of normal and malignant B cells" and "Cell adhesion and migration in immunity and cancer".
Prof. dr. C.J.M. van Noesel, pathologist, P.I., department of Pathology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
Prof. dr. S.T. Pals, pathologist, P.I., department of Pathology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
Dr. M. Spaargaren, P.I., department of Pathology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
Research program dr. M. Spaargaren
Dr. Marcel Spaargaren is a medical molecular biologist at the Dept. Of Pathology, with a special interest in the molecular and cell biological aspects of the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies, in particular multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and the exploitation of this knowledge for clinical applications.
As a PI in the AMC, he participates in the major research themes “Oncology” and “Immunity and Infection” and as such in the Oncologic Research Center AMC (ORCA) and the Center for Immunology Amsterdam (CIA). He is dean of the Oncology Graduate School Amsterdam (OOA: Onderzoekschool Oncologie Amsterdam) for PhD students of the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Free University Medical Center (VUMC), and AMC. He is secretary of the society on Tumor Cell Biology of the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF-werkgemeenschap Tumorcel biologie), and co-founder and board-member of the Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE).The research group of Marcel Spaargaren (Dept. of Pathology, section Immuno- and Hematopathology) has a long-standing interest in the molecular and cellular biology of B-cell differentiation and function, and in the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies, in particular multiple myeloma (MM), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
The major themes of the current research are "Growth and differentiation of normal and malignant B cells" and "Cell adhesion and migration in immunity and cancer". In this context, the aims are:
1) identify and molecularly dissect the signaling pathways involved in differentiation and function of B-cells and in the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies;
2) explore and exploit the microenvironment-dependence as the Achilles’ heel of B-cell malignancies, focussing on multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.General interests include signal transduction, cell proliferation and survival, cell adhesion and migration, and tumor-microenvironment-dependence. More specifically, related to the differentiation and function of B cells and the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies, they explore(d) the molecular and functional aspects of signalling by the B-cell antigen receptor, chemokines (e.g., CXCL12), HGF/MET, and WNTs, and the role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (e.g., CD44 and Syndecan-1), adhesion molecules (integrins and cadherins), GTPases (e.g., Ras and Ral), kinases (e.g., Bruton’s tyrosine kinase), and transcription factors (e.g., FOXP1).