18 January 2018

We proudly introduce our new professor at the Dept. of Tumor Immunology. Her research focuses on the role of membrane proteins in the development of cancer.

Annemiek van Spriel (Ermelo, 1973) obtained a Master's degree with honours in Medical Biology from Utrecht University in 1996. In 2001 she obtained her PhD on research into Neutrophil Fc receptors and Mac-1: from biology to immunotherapy. She was awarded scholarships from the Dutch Cancer Society and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (Talent Grant) to work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Leukocyte Membrane Protein Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia.

Grants

Since 2004, Annemiek van Spriel has been working at the Dept. of Tumor Immunology. In 2012 she received an NWO-VIDI Grant and became a junior principle investigator (tenure track). Three years later she became associate professor and team leader of the Tetraspanin Research Group, and in 2016 she received an ERC Consolidator Grant to conduct research on the cell membrane of cancer cells.

Tetraspanins

Professor Van Spriel’s research focuses on the role of tetraspanins in the immune system and the development of cancer. All of our cells are surrounded by a cell membrane, of which the so-called tetraspanins are a part. These are proteins that play an important role in the organisation of protein complexes in the cell membrane that ensure cell function. There is increasing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between  tetraspanins and the development of cancer; however, it remains unclear what the underlying mechanisms are and how defects can lead to disease. Van Spriel’s group is now examining how tetraspanin networks influence the immune system and its relation to the development of cancer.

Anti-tumour immunity

Professor Annemiek van Spriel will continue her research on immunological processes during anti-tumour immunity and branch out into the field of ​​membrane organisation. The aim of her research is to gain new insights into the cell membrane in the healthy human immune system and in cancer patients.

Related news items


ZonMw Open Competition Grant for Annemiek van Spriel and Piet Gros

15 June 2021 Annemiek van Spriel, theme cancer development and immune defense, together with Piet Gros, Dept. of Chemistry, Utrecht University obtained a ZonMw Open Competition Grant to investigate IL-6 receptor structure and signalling in tumor cells. read more

HFSP Grant for Johannes Textor

30 March 2020 Johannes Textor, theme Cancer development and immune defense, has been awarded a program grant of 1 million US dollars by The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) to investigate how T cells navigate extremely dense environments using experiments, modeling and methods from pedestrian dynamics. read more

Human pDCs attract cytolytic lymphocytes in anti-cancer vaccination

6 February 2020 RIMLS researchers Jasper van Beek and Jolanda de Vries, theme Cancer development and immune defense, discovered that pDCs can efficiently recruit cytolytic immune effector cells, a property that could be exploited in anti-cancer vaccines. They have published these findings in Cell Reports. read more

ZonMw funding for teams of Michiel Vermeulen and Jolanda de Vries

4 February 2020 The awarded research projects of RIMLS researchers Michiel Vermeulen, Jolanda de Vries, Gerty Schreibelt and Martijn Verdoes and colleagues will initiate new research lines and collaborations between various research groups. read more

Niels Stensen Fellowship for Jorieke Weiden

6 January 2020 Jorieke Weiden was recently awarded a grant from the Niels Stensen Fellowship. Since the 1960s, the Niels Stensen Fellowship has been awarded annually to outstanding researchers who recently received their PhD to enable them to gain research experience at a top university or institute abroad. read more

Galectin-9 controls plasma membrane integrity of dendritic cells

16 December 2019 Laia Querol Cano, theme Cancer development and immune defense, has discovered how galectin-9, a sugar-binding membrane organiser, governs dendritic cell function by intracellularly modulating actin cytoskeleton. These findings are published in the latest issue of iScience. read more