Had a great session at the EULAR where I presented my research about ANCA-specific B cells in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Key findings:

•Single cell sequencing of B cells in AAV patients demonstrated significant alterations:
↑increased frequency and ↑ clonally expanded plasma blasts
↑somatic hypermutation of IgA⁺ B cells
↑Light chain rearrangement  and lambda usage

•Upregulation of genes involved in B cell activation, differentiation, survival and antibody production (JCHAIN, BCMA, SDC1)

*Our findings suggest a potential ongoing mucosal immune activation in AAV

Identified ANCA-specific B cells
MPO- specific B cells: IgA⁺/IgG1-3⁺ expanded and highly mutated PB PR3-specific B cells: IgG1-2-4⁺ expanded switched memory B cells

Looking forward to #EULAR2025 in Barcelona!

I am grateful to have the opportunity to present my research on ANCA-specific B cells & received a travel award! 🏆

🔬 Abstract Title: Characterizing ANCA-specific B cells in ANCA-associated Vasculitis
💡 Basic Abstract Session: Understanding Basic and Translational Science in Vasculitis
📍Room B1, Fira de Barcelona, Spain
⏰ Wednesday, 11 June, 16:30 – 18:00 CEST
🎤 Presentation time 16:40 – 16:50 CEST

Looking forward to see you there!

Stanford University Stanford University School of Medicine Leiden University Medical Center

I am happy to share that today I had the opportunity to present my research on T cells in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) at the American College of Rheumatology in Washington DC. It was a fantastic opportunity to share insights and discuss this important area of study!

Some key take aways from my research:

➡️ Anti-PR3 ANCA-associated vasculitis patients have increased proportions of CD8 EMRA GZMB+ and CD4 GZMB+ T cells

➡️ Both anti-MPO and anti-PR3 ANCA-associated vasculitis patients have hyperexpanded clonal families, mostly within the CD8 EMRA GZMB+ and CD4 GZMB+ T cells

➡️ Expanded T cells in AAV patients had increased expression of cytotoxic and tissue homing genes, involved in pathways of cell activation and positive regulation of the immune response

➡️ MPO stimulation induced GZMK and interferon gamma responses in CD8 T cells in anti-MPO AAV patients after 24h of PBMC culturing

➡️ Future studies will focus on zooming in into the specific autoreactive T cells and TCR analyses

Would like to thank everybody that came by and inspired me with new ideas and suggestions. And also a big thank you to all collaborators of this study! Jae-Seung Moon Jolijn van Leeuwen Cees van Kooten Y.K. Onno Teng William Robinson

I’m thrilled to share that my presentation on autoreactive T cells in ANCA-associated vasculitis was selected as a EULAR highlight by the EUVAS society! This recognition is very meaningful to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the understanding of this interesting topic.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can watch the webinar here: https://vasculitis.org/lectures-and-webinars

A big thank you to everyone who has supported and inspired me throughout this journey! Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of research together.

Today is the official start date of Breaking ANCA. Through this website and my social media platforms I will try to keep you up to date on my project. Please reach out to me if you have questions or would like to collaborate!

Today I heard that I my project – Breaking ANCA – was awarded a Global Marie Curie Fellowship (€300.000), for three years of postdoctoral research. 1,249 experienced post-doctoral researchers were selected for funding among 8,039 applicants. Among the 1249 selections, 139 went to global fellowships, including myself. Read more about the announcement on the official website.

This grant will support my postdoctoral studies in ANCA-associated Vasculitis. The outgoing phase of this fellowship May 2024 – May 2026 will be in the Robinson Lab at Stanford, USA. The one year return phase will be in the Nephrology department of LUMC Leiden, the Netherlands under supervision of Prof. Onno Teng & prof. Cees van Kooten. I am super excited to start working on this fellowship and hopefully advance the scientific field of ANCA-associated vasculitis the next years. Read more about Breaking ANCA here