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

Promotor: Prof.dr. J. Kuiper

Cardiovascular syndromes are the major cause of death in Western societies.

Promotores: Prof.dr. J. Kuiper, Prof.dr. P.H.A. Quax, Co-promotor: I. Bot

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

Promotor: H.P. Spaink, Co-Promotor: A.H. Meijer

Promotor: Prof.dr. J. Kuiper

Cardiovascular diseases are among the most frequent causes of death in the world. The main underlying pathology of cardiovascular diseases is the development of atherosclerosis in the medium and large-sized arteries.

One of the main challenges in the development of an effective anti-cancer vaccine is the generation of an adequate and directed cellular immune response.

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

Nanoparticles can be used as delivery systems for both small molecules and macromolecules such as proteins, peptides or oligonucleotides. This thesis focuses on the use of liposomes, nanometric vesicles formed by a lipid bilayer enclosing an aqueous core. Liposomes are highly versatile delivery syst…

Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death in the world with atherosclerosis as primary underlying cause.

Promotor: Prof.dr. J.N. Kok

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.

Promotor: H.P. Spaink, A.H. Meijer Co-promotor: R. Marin-Juez

This thesis focuses on important life history traits and their trade-offs using two hexapod models. Particularly, the trade-off between immune defense and embryonic developmental speed is a central theme of this study.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the main reasons for drug attrition during pre-clinical and clinical phases of drug development as well as for drug withdrawal post-marketing.

Promotor: B. van de Water

Promotor: J. Kuiper

Acute cardiovascular syndromes, including myocardial infarction or stroke, are the principal cause of death in the Western society. The main underlying pathology of cardiovascular diseases is atherosclerosis, which is caused by the accumulation of lipids and inflammatory cells in the vessel wall, in…

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

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.

This work describes the use of click-to-release chemistry to get spatiotemporal control over immunocytokine activity. Until now, immunocytokines (cytokines coupled to a tumor-targeting-moiety) remained active throughout the body, being able to bind their respective receptors, causing mild to severe…

Promotor: M.L. van Hecke

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

This thesis advances our understanding of lipid uptake, a vital first step in lipid metabolism, by developing innovative click chemistry-based tools to study how immune cells internalize lipids.

Thirty years ago, mutations in the BRCA1 gene were first linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, establishing a genetic basis for cancer development.

This thesis describes the synthesis and biological evaluation of TLR2/6, TLR4, TLR7/8 and TLR9 ligands, of which the activity can be conditionally controlled.

Promotores: Prof.dr. J. A. Bouwstra, Prof.dr. W. Jiskoot

Despite the fact that gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are one of the most studied nanoparticles, there is still a necessity for new approaches allowing for effective protective coating to enable wider use of GNPs in biomedical applications.

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…

New drugs for use as tuberculosis (TB) treatment are needed due to the constrains of classical antibiotics against TB and the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains, making TB a harder and harder disease to treat.

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…

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

Promotor: G.F.A. Kersten, W. Jiskoot, Co-promotor: B. Metz

Bacteria are highly complex and diverse organisms that have adapted to survive in ecological niches ranging from the most extreme to the most heterogeneous environments.

There is accumulating evidence for an increase in severe global drought events. In particular, Europe experienced several severe droughts in 2003, 2015, and 2018 (unprecedented in the past 2,110 years). Such droughts have caused serious and far-reaching impacts on terrestrial ecosystems.

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

Deze sociaal-juridische studie richt zich op de implementatie van wetgeving en beleid op het gebied van klimaatverandering in ontwikkelingslanden met een zwakke rechtsstaat en de (onvoorziene) effecten daarvan op de landrechten van kwetsbare bevolkingsgroepen.

Promotores: J. Jonkers, K.E. de Visser

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

De afdeling Staats- en Bestuursrecht van de Universiteit Leiden heeft een bundel gepubliceerd over de vraag of de historisch gegroeide combinatie van de concepten van democratische legitimiteit en de scheiding van machten mogelijk blijft buiten de context van de traditionele staat, en indien dit mogelijk…

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).

Promotor: A.H. Meijer, Co-promotor: B.E. Snaar-Jagalska

The function of TLRs in innate immunity has aroused worldwide attention soon after its discovery. Because of the broad functions of TLR2 in innate immunity, the drive for the development of TLR2-targeted vaccines or therapeutic treatments has accelerated in the last decades.

Promotor: W. Jiskoot, Co-promotor: A. Hawe

Atherosclerosis is the most important underlying process that drives cardiovascular disease, and is characterized by an accumulation of cholesterol which triggers an inflammatory response in the vessel wall.

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.

Inactivating mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes predispose to several types of cancer.

Promotor: E.F. Smets Co-promotor: J. Geml