Jon Laman

The B-cell work is part of a longstanding research line on multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal EAE model in mice as well as in non-human primates (Prof. Bert A. ‘t Hart). In collaborations, we address interrelated topics relevant to B cells:

• Costimulatory and coinhibitory pathways affecting B-cell responses, e.g. CD40 and VISTA
• Drainage pathways of brain antigens to cervical and lumber lymph nodes driving B-cell responses
• Functionality of B-cell subsets in MS/EAE, for instance by use of novel immunotherapeutics to deplete B cells directly (anti-CD20) or take away trophic support.
• Mechanisms by which EBV and its marmoset counterpart CalHV3 contribute to the MS/EAE disease process.

Affiliation

Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
j.d.laman@umcg.nl

Publications

Jagessar SA, Holtman IR, Hofman S, Morandi E, Heijmans N, Laman JD, Gran B, Faber BW, van Kasteren SI, Eggen BJ, ‘t Hart BA. Lymphocryptovirus Infection of Nonhuman Primate B Cells Converts Destructive into Productive Processing of the Pathogenic CD8 T Cell Epitope in Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein. J Immunol. 2016

van Luijn MM, Kreft KL, Jongsma ML, Mes SW, Wierenga-Wolf AF, van Meurs M, Melief MJ, der Kant Rv, Janssen L, Janssen H, Tan R, Priatel JJ, Neefjes J, Laman JD, Hintzen RQ. Multiple sclerosis-associated CLEC16A controls HLA class II expression via late endosome biogenesis. Brain. 2015

Stern JN, Yaari G, Vander Heiden JA, Church G, Donahue WF, Hintzen RQ, Huttner AJ, Laman JD, Nagra RM, Nylander A, Pitt D, Ramanan S, Siddiqui BA, Vigneault F, Kleinstein SH, Hafler DA, O’Connor KC. B cells populating the multiple sclerosis brain mature in the draining cervical lymph nodes. Sci Transl Med. 2014

Kap YS, van Driel N, Laman JD, Tak PP, ‘t Hart BA. CD20+ B cell depletion alters T cell homing. J Immunol. 2014

‘t Hart BA, Jagessar SA, Haanstra K, Verschoor E, Laman JD, Kap YS. The Primate EAE Model Points at EBV-Infected B Cells as a Preferential Therapy Target in Multiple Sclerosis. Front Immunol. 2013

Theses

Jordon Dunham: Translational multiple sclerosis research in primates: mind the gap. Awarded: 2017

Karim K. Kreft: Functional immunogenetics of MS. Awarded: 2014

Anwar Jagessar: Mechanistic refinement of the common marmoset model for multiple sclerosis. Awarded: 2012

Yolanda S. Kap: A primate view on multiple sclerosis. Awarded: 2010

Current PhD projects

Malte Borggrewe: The negative checkpoint regulator VISTA as an immunotherapeutic target in multiple sclerosis