Mengshan Liu
Research
Cancer immunotherapies the host’s own immune system to fight tumors mainly through activation T cells. Currently used checkpoint inhibitors often have good clinical results, but these drugs also re-activate T cells that are not cancer-specific and thereby may cause severe immune-related adverse effects. For this reason, we focus on improving immunotherapy by therapeutic vaccination, that activates tumor-specific T cells. We utilize tumor-antigens in (personalized) T cell vaccines. As dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in the induction of cancer-specific T cells, I focus on antigen and adjuvant delivery to DCs. We develop novel liposomal T cell vaccine formulations for personalized tumor immunotherapy, and intradermal drug delivery systems, particularly microneedles. Both are aimed at achieve effective uptake and DC maturation, and to effectively target the skin’s DCs, respectively. In my research, I evaluate my novel vaccine formulations and delivery systems in preclinical cancer models and human ex vivo skin explants.
CURRICULUM VITAE
I obtained my bachelor’s degree in pharmacy at Jinan University (2009-2013). After receiving a University Medical Center Groningen scholarship, I started my research master’s in Medical and Pharmaceutical Drug Innovation at the University of Groningen (2014-2016). My major internship project I performed under supervision of Dr. C. F. van Nostrum at Utrecht University, working on novel drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles to improve the therapy against multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. In 2017, I started my PhD research under supervision of Dr. C. F. van Nostrum (Prof. Hennink group) and Dr. L Willemsen (Prof. Garssen group) at Utrecht University, where I investigated oral delivery of β-lactoglobulin derived peptide and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles aiming for allergen-specific oral tolerance induction and eventually early life cow’s milk allergy prevention. In 2024, I joined the Tumor Immunology group of Prof. F. Ossendorp and Dr. K. van der Maaden to work on the development of intradermal drug delivery systems for (personalized) liposomal cancer vaccination.
Publications
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Live Cell Imaging by Forster Resonance Energy Transfer Fluorescence to Study Trafficking of PLGA Nanoparticles and the Release of a Loaded Peptide in Dendritic Cells
M. Liu, C.Y.J. Lau, I.T. Cabello, J. Garssen, L.E.M. Willemsen, W.E. Hennink, C.F. van Nostrum
Pharmaceuticals, 16 (2023)
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Oral pretreatment with β-lactoglobulin derived peptide and CpG coencapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles prior to sensitizations attenuates cow’s milk allergy development in mice
M. Liu, S. Thijssen, W.E. Hennink, J. Garssen, C.F. van Nostrum, Linette E.M. Willemsen
Frontiers in Immunology, 13 (2023)
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Inhibition of cow's milk allergy development in mice by oral delivery of betalactoglobulin-
derived peptides loaded PLGA nanoparticles is associated with systemic whey-specific immune silencing
M. Liu, S. Thijssen, C.F. van Nostrum, W.E. Hennink, J. Garssen, L.E.M. Willemsen
Clin Exp Allergy, 52 (2022) 137-148
