With a freshly obtained grant from NWO ENW (€720, 4 years), Dr Victor Thijssen (Amsterdam UMC) and Prof. Rory Koenen (Dept. of Biochemistry) can continue their fruitful collaboration on the functional interactions of galectins and chemokines and their roles in immune defense and inflammation.
 
A sweet defense
The immune system helps the body to defend itself against pathogens and malignant cells. This requires immune cells to function properly. We have discovered a mechanism that controls the function of immune cells. This mechanism involves proteins that bind to sugars on the surface of immune cells. The current project will provide more insight in this unique mechanism. This will help us to better understand the development of diseases that are caused by an inadequate immune response. In addition, this project will contribute to the development of novel drugs that improve the function of the immune system.
 
The project is a collaboration between Amsterdam UMC and Maastricht University.

The press release is available under this link:
https://www.nwo.nl/en/news/twenty-three-innovative-research-projects-launched-through-open-competition-domain-science-m-programme