Ton Langerak

Lymphoproliferative disorders are heterogeneous in their pathogenesis, biological characteristics, clinical aspects, and response to treatment. Better insight in underlying molecular immunological mechanisms is crucial to completely understand this heterogeneity in order to design tailored treatment strategies for lymphoproliferative disorders. We are currently focusing on further unravelling the biological (signalling, genetics, epigenetics) and clinical heterogeneity of especially chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia. Additionally, as these leukemia types mostly arise in elderly individuals, studying the ageing of the normal immune system and the immune repertoire is key to understanding the pathogenesis of lymphoproliferative disorders.

Affiliation

Dept. Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, The Netherlands
a.langerak@erasmusmc.nl

Publications

Langerak AW, Ritgen M, Goede V, Robrecht S, Bahlo J, Fischer K, Steurer M, Trněny M, Mulligan SP, Mey UJM, Trunzer K, Fingerle-Rowson G, Humphrey K, Stilgenbauer S,Böttcher S, Brüggemann M, Hallek M, Kneba M, Van Dongen JJM. Prognostic value of MRD in CLL patients with comorbidities receiving chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab or rituximab. Submitted.

Pal Singh S, Pillai SY, De Bruijn MJW, Stadhouders R, Corneth OB, Van den Ham HJ, Muggen AF, Slinger E, Kuil A, Spaargaren M, Kater AP, Langerak AW, Hendriks RW. Cell lines generated from a Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia mouse model exhibit constitutive Btk and Akt signaling. Oncotarget 2017

Langerak AW, Brüggemann M, Davi F, Darzentas N, Gonzalez D, Cazzaniga G, Giudicelli V, Lefranc MP, Giraud M, Macintyre EA, Hummel M, Pott C, Groenen PJTA, Stamatopoulos K – on behalf of the EuroClonality–NGS consortium. High-throughput immunogenetics for clinical and research applications in immuno-hematology: potential and challenges. J Immunol 2017

Muggen AF, Pillai SY, Kil LP, Van Zelm MC, Van Dongen JJM, Hendriks RW, Langerak AW. Basal Ca2+ signaling is particularly increased in mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia 2015

Van der Velden VHJ, Hoogeveen PG, De Ridder D, Schindler-van der Struijk M, Van Zelm MC, Sanderse M, Karsch D, Beverloo HB, Lam KH, Lugtenburg PJ, Böttcher S, Van Dongen JJM, Langerak AW, Kappers-Klunne MC, Van Lom K. B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia: a specific subgroup of mantle cell lymphoma. Blood 2014

Theses

Alice Muggen: BCR signaling in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Awarded: 2018

Nicole Larmonie: TCR translocations at the normal malignant T-cell interface. Awarded: 2013

Yorick Sandberg: Basic and clinical aspects of the T-cell receptor in mature T-cell malignancies. Awarded: 2007

Mirjam van der Burg: Recombination processes during human B-cell differentiation. Awarded: 2002

Current PhD projects

Martine Kallemeijn: Normal and abnormal TCRγδ+ T cells and T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia.

Simar Pal Singh: Targeting B-cell receptor signaling in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Jorn Assmann: Functional properties of T-cell large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia cells.