The Grootjans Lab
The Grootjans Lab studies the interplay between the immune system and gastrointestinal cancers.
The lab has three major research lines:
1. Understanding how immune cell alterations in the background of chronic intestinal inflammation (inflammatory bowel disease) favor the development of colorectal cancer;
2. Finding novel immunomodulatory treatment targets for difficult-to-treat cancers such as peritoneal metastasized disease, by better understanding the tumor immune environment;
3. Uncovering the mechanisms driving immune-related adverse events of currently used immune-activating therapies (immune checkpoint inhibitors).
Recent News
Explore the latest updates from our lab.
Joep Grootjans joins Oncode Institute
Joep Grootjans joins Oncode Institute per January 1st, 2024, together with 9 other Junior Investigators and their research groups. The Junior Investigators were selected out of 72 applicants based on the quality of their science, expertise and potential to contribute...
Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity (AII) Researchers Secure Four VIDI Grants
Four esteemed researchers within the Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity (AII) have been granted VIDI awards by the prestigious Dutch Research Council (NWO). Dr. Sarah Derks is spearheading research in Cancer Immunology. She focuses on tackling...
IXA TKI-PPP: Joep Grootjans – IMPaCT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzuXwchZnhM TKI-PPP grant Amsterdam UMC stimulates its researchers to perform research projects together with companies in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). The funding is provided by the Dutch government (Ministry of Economic...
Institute Amsterdam UMC
The Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, houses the university hospital and the medical faculty of the University of Amsterdam, as well as several research institutes, including the Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research.
The Tytgat Institute within the AMC houses fundamental and translational research in the field of hepatology and gastroenterology. Research at the Tytgat Institute is fundamental but usually built on a clinical question, aiming to provide results that can be translated into clinical practice. Extensive collaboration between physicians and researchers ensures a close link between the clinic and basic research. Similarly, multiple long-lasting public-private partnerships have evolved demonstrating that our research is easily exploited.
Research lines include metabolic and cholestatic liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, microbiome, and early-life nutrition. The institute has a strong involvement in the curriculum of Biomedical Sciences, and Medical School teaching programs. Read mo
Publications
Recent and selected publications. For an overview of all publications please visit the PubMed website. See below for our highlighted publications.
The unfolded protein response in immunity and inflammation
Nat Rev Immunol. 2016 Aug;16(8):469-84. doi: 10.1038/nri.2016.62. Epub 2016 Jun 27. Grootjans J, Kaser A, Kaufman RJ, Blumberg RS. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a highly conserved pathway that allows the cell to manage endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress that...
Epithelial endoplasmic reticulum stress orchestrates a protective IgA response
Science. 2019 Mar 1;363(6430):993-998. doi: 10.1126/science.aat7186. Grootjans J, Krupka N, Hosomi S, Matute JD, Hanley T, Saveljeva S, Gensollen T, Heijmans J, Li H, Limenitakis JP, Ganal-Vonarburg SC, Suo S, Luoma AM, Shimodaira Y, Duan J, Shih DQ, Conner ME,...
The Role of the Immune System in IBD-Associated Colorectal Cancer: From Pro to Anti-Tumorigenic Mechanisms
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Nov 25;22(23):12739. doi: 10.3390/ijms222312739. Frigerio S, Lartey DA, D'Haens GR, Grootjans J Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). IBD-associated cancer follows a...
Funded by
The Grootjans Lab conducts research in the fields of gastroenterology and immunology with a focus on gastrointestinal cancers and immune-related diseases.
The research is generously funded by the following sponsors.