Cell Therapy & Immune Therapy

The immune system is a powerful defense mechanism against foreign pathogens, but can also clear altered or damaged cells, such as cancer cells.

For that reason, hematological cancers can be treated with immunotherapy, such as the well-established treatment of  allogeneic stem cell transplantation, to induce durable remissions and even cure in patients.

However, persistence and recurrence of malignant disease is often observed in these patients due to inadequate induction and/or reactivation of tumor-reactive immune responses or via  to immunosuppressive mechanisms exploited by the tumor cells.

Therefore, potent new and/or improved immunotherapies are required to boost anti-tumor immunity in patients with hematological malignancies. In the translational research program of Dr. Harry Dolstra different immunotherapeutic strategies are investigated.

go to main content
Research Departments Laboratory Medicine Laboratory of Hematology

Laboratory of Hematology

The Laboratory of Hematology consists of expertise hematology diagnostics units and research groups.

read more

Laboratory of Hematology

The Laboratory of Hematology consists of expertise hematology diagnostics units and research groups.

Our research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that underlie blood disorders, as well as the development of immunotherapeutic strategies to boost anti-tumor immunity in patients with hematological malignancies. In close collaboration with the Department of Hematology we aim to translate and implement our research developments into diagnostic tests and patient care.

You can contact us for obtaining primary patient and healthy donor material, as well as for laboratory tests and experimental models in the field of cellular immune therapy, molecular hematology and thrombosis & hemostasis. In addition, we house the Flow cytometry technology center.

Units

  • The immune system is a powerful defense mechanism against foreign pathogens, but can also clear altered or damaged cells, such as cancer cells.

    read more

  • Molecular Hematology

    The unit Molecular Hematology Research (MHR) performs research in close collaboration with the unit Molecular Hematology Diagnostics (MHD).

    The main goal is to unravel molecular mechanisms that underlie blood disorders, in particular disorders of the myeloid subset of blood cells. These myeloid diseases comprise acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and platelet disorders. The close collaboration between MHR and MHD enables the study of primary patient material (cells and DNA), which is of great value.

    Every type of cancer arises from a cell that contains defects in its DNA; the defects confer a growth advantage upon the malignant cell, allowing it  to outcompete healthy cells. The mutated DNA encodes amongst others transcriptional regulators and epigenetic regulators, proteins that are involved in the control of gene expression. We study mutations in the DNA;  evolution of malignant clones; and epigenetic factors, epigenetic profiles, transcription factors and transcriptional regulation in normal and malignant blood cell formation (hematopoiesis). At present, five main topics are studied by several postdocs, PhD students, technicians and master/bachelor students, under the supervision of prof. J.H. Jansen and dr. B.A. van der Reijden.

Education & Internships

We are involved in the educational tracks of bachelor and master students at the Radboud University, the Hogeschool Arnhem-Nijmegen and other institutes.

read more

Education & Internships

The Laboratory of Hematology is involved in the educational tracks of bachelor and master students at the Radboud University, the Hogeschool Arnhem-Nijmegen and other institutes. These include Biomedical Sciences, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Medical Biology, Medicine and Biology & Laboratory Sciences, where courses comprise basic laboratory training, and background in hematology, (molecular) oncology and immunology.

Internships

Motivated bachelor and master students are always welcome to apply for internships within our department, with a preferable minimum of 6 months. Inquiries including a motivation letter with your specific interests and a CV can be send to Dr. Anniek van der Waart (Anniek.vanderWaart@radboudumc.nl).
 

Connected to

Flow cytometry

The Radboudumc Technology Center Flow Cytometry has extensive experience with flow cytometry in basic and translational research, as well as in patient diagnostics, follow-up and clinical trials. read more

Flow cytometry

Flow cytometry is a sophisticated technique that allows interrogation of few to millions of single cells or. Multiple physical characteristics of each individual cell/particle are simultaneously measured, and expression levels of antigens can be detected using fluorescently labelled antibodies. Measured characteristics include amongst others the relative size, granularity or internal complexity, and relative fluorescence intensity of the cell/particle. Our platform offers scientists advice on pre-analysis sample preparation, panel design, quality controls, instrument set-up, data acquisition and data analysis and visualization. Furthermore, we provide access to high-end flow cytometry analyzers and sorters.

Fields of research

  • Immunology/Hematology
  • Genetic and metabolic diseases
  • Cell biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Microbiology
  • Infectious diseases
  • Gynaecology (sperm)
  • Biochemistry
  • Chemistry (small particles)

Treatment improvement for severe hematological diseases

This program aims to unravel the pathophysiological basis of hematological disease, understand the biological consequences and define possibilities for therapeutic intervention.

read more