Induction and chronicity of autoimmunity

Rheumatoid Arthritis is chronic autoimmunity that can often not be cured. The disease is hallmarked by a specific autoimmune response against post-translationally modified protein-antigens. Break of immunological tolerance is at the basis of the development of autoimmunity and consequently autoimmune diseases. We aim to understand how tolerance towards self-antigens in rheumatic disease is broken and how chronicity of the emerging autoimmune responses is established and maintained

Break of immunological tolerance is at the basis of the development of autoimmunity and consequently autoimmune diseases. As the presence of disease-specific auto-antibody responses and the efficacy of B cell targeting therapies indicate a pivotal role for B cells in disease pathogenesis in several rheumatic diseases the overall focus of the research performed in the laboratory of experimental rheumatology is given to the role of autoreactive B cells in 4 rheumatic diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic Scleroderma and ANCA vasculitis. An important aim of our research is to understand why, how and when autoimmunity is induced and becomes chronic. These questions, although studied in the setting of all 4 conditions mentioned above, are mainly investigated in the context of Rheumatoid Arthritis as prototypic autoimmune disease. Special emphasis is given to B cells and auto-antibodies recognizing post-translationally modified protein-antigens such as citrullinated proteins as these are most disease-specific. We use a broad technological toolbox to molecularly characterize autoantibodies in a clinical setting and to visualize and fish-out autoreactive B cells specifically to gain an in depth understanding of their biology and what makes them different to “conventional” B cells.

Key publications

Our team members

Coordinating Scientist:

Prof. Dr Rene E. M. Toes

Scientific Staff

Prof. Dr Tom W. J. Huizinga
Dr. Hans Ulrich Scherer
Dr Diane van der Woude
Dr Karin van Schie
Dr Jolien Suurmond
Dr Cynthia Fehres
Dr Sanne Kampstra
Linda Slot, Msc

PhD students

Abdullelah Alzahrani
Alice Bacon
Roxane Biersteker
Nienke Blomberg
Hugo van Dooren
Miles Holborough-Kerkvliet
Theresa Kissel
Sanne Kroos
Anouk van Mourik
Sam Nepelenbroek
Wieke van Oostveen
Sanne Reijm
Sophie-Anne Smith
Eva Maria Stork
Esther Vletter
Lars van Vliet
Tineke van Wesemael
Renee van de Wetering

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