Elselien Frijlink

Research

Radiotherapy (RT) is standard of care for ~50% of all cancer patients, but local and distal disease recurrence remains a major cause of mortality. RT aims to destroy tumor cells, but it also has important immunomodulating effects. These effects may be rationally exploited, especially in combination with antibody-based immunotherapy (IT) in poorly immunogenic cancers that do not respond to IT alone. Combining RT with IT, an approach named radio-immunotherapy (RIT) has the potential to improve cure rates of both local and distal disease. Mouse studies have shown that combining RT and IT can promote effector T cell responses, allowing for control of the irradiated tumor. My research aims to gain an understanding of how RT can synergize with IT to unleash systemic immune responses, targeting also non-irradiated tumor masses. To maximize success of such RIT approaches, we need mechanistic information that helps us to rationally improve the vaccine potential of RT. 

Curriculum vitae

In 2015, I obtained my Master’s degree in Infection & Immunity at Utrecht University. I have done my first internships in the lab of Prof. Jürgen Kuball at UMC Utrecht, where I designed a GMP-compatible method to improve the purification of TCR-engineered T cells for the treatment of haematological malignancies. My second internship was in the group of Prof. Martin Blaser at New York University Medical Center, where I studied the effects of microbial communities on serum estrogen levels in mouse models. After graduation, I worked as a junior researcher in the T&P Bohnenn laboratory of Neuro-Oncology at UMC Utrecht under supervision of Prof. Pierre Robe. In 2016, I started my PhD in the group of Prof. Jannie Borst at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. I now continue this work at the LUMC and the Netherlands Cancer Institute.