Promotores: Prof.dr. G.F.A. Kersten, W. Jiskoot, Co-promotor: J-P. Amorij

In summary, the collective results described in this thesis show that nanoparticulate vaccines can be delivered intradermally by coated and hollow microneedles and evoke antigen-specific immune responses.

In order to gain a better insight into the basis of the rapid jasmonic acid (JA)-mediated stress response, an integrated approach using a targeted high-resolution mass spectrometry-based (HRMS) platform, was conducted to monitor the metabolism of JA using the model system of cell suspension cultures…

The aim of this thesis is to study cell-cell interactions and the development of an assay to explore and quantify the exchange of membrane compounds.

Promotor: Prof.dr. J. Kuiper

Cardiovascular disease is a major global burden and atherosclerosis is the main underlying pathological process.

Despite being the object of intense study, embryonic development has been difficult to model due to a number of reasons. First, complex tissues can be comprised of many cell types, of which we probably only know a subset.

Mechanical interactions between cells and their environment play an important role in many biological processes.

Promotor: B. van de Water

Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR)

Almost all bacteria are enveloped by a cell wall that provides cellular protection.

Aspergillus niger is an important industrial producer of organic acids and enzymes producing large amounts of spent fungal biomass.

During embryonic growth, cells proliferate, differentiate, and collectively migrate to form different tissues at the right position and time in the body.

This thesis focuses on two processes involved in fighting infections: metabolism and immune cell motility and navigation.

This thesis describes the design and synthesis of fragments of various cell wall carbohydrates of the Streptococcus species, including the branched Group B-specific antigen (GBC) of Group B Streptococcus, glycerol phosphate (GroP) modified group A carbohydrate (GAC), and the O-acetylated type 1 capsular…

Promotores: Prof.dr. H.P. Spaink & Prof.dr. P.C.W. Hogendoorn Co-promotor: Dr. M.J.M. Schaaf

Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) and tumor cell migration play an important role in cancer progression, and an improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying these concepts is essential for developing new targeted approaches.

Promotie

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely prescribed as anti-inflammatory drugs due to their well-established immunosuppressive effects.

Promotor: C.J. ten Cate, Co-promotor: H.W. Slabbekoorn

A new type of tripodal squaramide-based supramolecular hydrogels is developed and studied.

Promotor: J. Kuiper

Traditional drug discovery approaches have been hampered by (in vitro) cell-culture models that poorly represent the situation in the human body.

In this research project, we aimed to obtain more insight in the role of mast cells in the immune driven disorders rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis.

There is an urgent need for more physiologically relevant cell culture methods to guide compound selection in pre-clinical stages of the drug development pipeline.

Does roadside management in the mid-west USA increase invertebrate diversity similar to practices in Europe?

Promotor: M.L. van Hecke

Promotor: M.K. Richardson, Co-Promotor: F. Witte

Bulgarije kwam relatief ongeschonden uit de eerste golf, maar in het najaar van 2020 namen het aantal infecties, ziekenhuisopnames en sterfgevallen sterk toe. Dit onderzoek analyseert hoe de Bulgaarse regering op de Covid-19 pandemie heeft gereageerd.

Stemwijzers—applicaties die kiezers helpen te bepalen welke partij of kandidaat het beste past bij hun politieke voorkeur—spelen een steeds belangrijker rol in verkiezingen. De politicologen Martin Rosema (Universeit Twente) en Tom Louwerse (Universiteit Leiden) onderzoeken of het ontwerp van deze publicaties…

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that human macrophages can be induced to exert direct anti-tumor activity against osteosarcoma cells. Our observation that the induction of macrophage anti-tumor activity by L-MTP-PE required IFN-gamma may be of relevance for the optimization of L-MTP-PE therapy in…

Atherosclerosis is the main underlying pathology of cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis is caused by an immune response which is directed against (modified) lipoproteins which accumulate in the vessel wall.

Promotor: Prof.dr. W.J.G.M. Peijnenburg

Bacteria have the ability to alter their morphology in order to adapt to changing environments.

The aims of the project are to: further clarify 'inhibition by safety'; explore and describe all possible sagety factors, with a special focus on the primary human safety source: social connectedness; reviewing prolonged stress responses without stressors.

Synthetic hydrogels that mimic the natural extracellular matrix in the biophysical and biochemical cues it provides to cells are in high demand, however the cell phenotypes as they are observed in vivo in numerous cases have yet to be attained.

Streptomyces are multicellular, Gram-positive bacteria in the phylum of actinobacteria which produce a high amount of bioactive natural products of which the expression is tightly coordinated with the life cycle.

Cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) are involved in the clearance of viruses and killing of tumor cells.

Promotor: C.A.J. Knibbe, Co-promotor: J.J. Boelens, R.G.M. Bredius

The focus of the described research in this thesis is on the oxidative stress response (Nrf2 pathway). The aim of the research presented in this thesis is to obtain more information concerning microRNAs which are involved in the Nrf2 pathway, to determine and evaluate the application of microRNAs for…

Promotor: Prof.dr. R. Verpoorte, Co-Promotores: N.R. Mustafa, A.E. Schulte

Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR)

Immunotherapies for cancer are an emerging class of therapeutic strategies which aim to treat cancer via augmentation of the immune system.

Promotor: Prof.dr. P. Hooykaas, Co-promotor: R. Offringa

Promotor: Johan Kuiper, Co-promotor: Saskia C.A. de Jager

Light-Harvesting Complex II (LHCII) is responsible for light absorption and excitation energy transfer in plants and photosynthetic algae, while in high light it undergoes conformational changes by which it quenches excitations to prevent photodamage.

The deeper understanding of an organism's pathology is important for developing treatments. Over centuries of systematic research, clinical researchers have demonstrated that the more information they acquire about the cellular properties and their organisation in the tissue, the better they can understand…

Vaak wordt gezegd dat een crisis iemands ware aard naar boven brengt. Het coronavirus stelt het multilaterale systeem op de proef. Politicoloog Gisela Hirschmann (Universiteit Leiden) maakt zich zorgen over de toekomst van internationale samenwerking.

The power of personalized nutrition lies in being able to conduct clinical research on healthy people while capturing metabolic markers sensitive to the impact of environmental and metabolic stressors (e.g. diet, changing sex hormones and the menstrual cycle).