About the Immune Monitoring Group

The immune monitoring program of the Department of Immunology in LUMC, supervised by Prof. Jacques J.M. van Dongen, MD, PhD, consists of translational research aiming at unravelling cellular, functional and molecular genetic processes during normal and abnormal immune cell development (differentiation) and maturation, and on the development and clinical evaluation of new diagnostic strategies and techniques in Medical Immunology.

Maturation of hematopoietic cells into different types of immune cells is a complex process. Insight into normal differentiation and maturation processes makes it possible to recognize atypical and aberrant patterns that may be related to immune diseases or other disruptions of the immune system. This knowledge forms the basis for the development of new methods for diagnosis, classification and monitoring of various immune diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory processes, allergies, immunodeficiencies, and hematological malignancies.

The program particularly supports monitoring of immune cell populations during the disease course and during treatment, such as immunotherapies with antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors and cellular therapies (including transplantation and gene therapy), as well as vaccination and cancer treatment.

The research within the immune monitoring program contributes to diagnostic patient care and supports personalized treatment, in which treatment strategies are optimized based on the results of immune monitoring.

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