Mechanisms of cell-cell communication and tissue self-organization
Our Focus
The overall aim of our research is to uncover how cell–cell communication and tissue self-organization control healthy tissue renewal and how these fundamental principles are subverted during cancer development and progression. Using patient-derived organoids as physiologically relevant disease models, we study how dynamic interactions between phenotypically heterogeneous cells give rise to organized tissue architecture and function, and how disruptions in these processes drive malignant growth.
By integrating organoid biology with molecular, biochemical, and protein-level analyses, we seek to uncover patient-specific mechanisms of cancer predisposition, initiation, and progression, and identify new therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Main scientific questions:
- How do (cancer) stem cells communicate with their niche?
We study how cells receive and process signals at the cell surface and how mutations in receptor-mediated signaling pathways enable niche-independent cancer growth.
- How do cancer mutations act at the tissue level?
We investigate how disease-associated mutations alter protein and cellular function to promote cancer predisposition, initiation, and progression, using patient-derived organoid models.
- How can molecular insights be translated into targeted therapies?
Leveraging our expertise in membrane-bound E3 ubiquitin ligases, we employ our newly developed SureTACs technology for tissue-selective extracellular targeted protein degradation to eliminate disease-driving proteins in cancer cells.
About Madelon Maurice
Madelon Maurice
My Research
Madelon Maurice earned her PhD in 1998 at the Department of Rheumatology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands on T-cell mediated autoimmunity. She performed postdoctoral training in the laboratories of Hidde Ploegh, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, and Hans Clevers, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, gaining expertise in a diverse set of disciplines. She initiated her independent research group in 2006 at the department of Cell Biology, UMC Utrecht and became Full Professor of Molecular Cell Biology in 2016. Her primary research interests concern the molecular mechanisms by which (mutated) signalling pathways guide cell-cell communication, tissue self-organization and tumour growth and progression.
The innovative nature of her work was recognized with an Utrecht High Potential grant (2007), ERC Starting grant (2009), NWO-VICI grant (2014), ZonMW-TOP grant (2018) and a KWF/TKI grant (2022). Madelon is one of the main leaders of the national Gravitation project IMAGINE! (https://imagine-microscopy.nl). She is an elected member of the Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and has been a member of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE) (2014-2019). From 2013-2017, Madelon coordinated the Marie Curie Sklowdowska EU ITN consortium “WntsApp”, that comprised 7 academic and 3 private sector European partners (wntsapp.eu) that joined forces to uncover molecular aspects of WNT receptor signal relay and develop therapeutics to interfere with aberrant WNT signaling in cancer cells. She is a member of the Research Management Committee of the Oncode Institute, Co-director of the Utrecht Platform for Organoid Technology (U-PORT), member of the Scientific Council of the Dutch Cancer Society and has been member of the Program Council of the Utrecht Life Sciences (ULS) Board (2017-2021).
Madelon invented a novel strategy for targeted membrane protein degradation using bispecific antibodies (SureTACs). She is founder and shareholder of Laigo Bio, a startup biotech that aims to develop SureTACs for clinical application in cancer treatment (laigobio.com).
Awards
- 2026–2030: European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Grant (Principal Applicant)
- 2022–2032: NWO Gravitation Grant, IMAGINE! Consortium (One of Six Principal Applicants)
- 2022: Dutch Cancer Society (KWF)/TKI Grant
- 2019–2023: ZonMw TOP Grant (Project Leader)
- 2017–2022: Member of Oncode Institute, Phase I
- 2015–2020: NWO Vici Grant
- 2013–2018: Member of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE)
- 2012: ERC Proof of Concept Grant
- 2010–present: Elected Associate Member of the Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research
- 2009–2014: ERC Starting Grant
- 2006–2011: Utrecht University High Potential Grant (Jointly with Dr Stefan Rüdiger, Utrecht University)
Key Publications
- 2025 | Intestinal LKB1 loss drives a pre-malignant program along the serrated cancer pathway | S. F. Plugge et al. | Gastroenterology | View publication
- 2024 | E3 ligases RNF43 and ZNRF3 display differential specificity for endocytosis of Frizzled receptors | Jeroen M. Bugter et al. | Life Science Alliance | View publication
- 2024 | Mechanistic insights into Wnt-β-catenin pathway activation and signal transduction | Madelon M. Maurice et al. | Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology | View publication
- 2023 | RSPO3 Furin domain-conjugated liposomes for selective drug delivery to LGR5-high cells | Peter van Kerkhof et al. | Journal of Controlled Release | View publication
- 2020 | Mutations and mechanisms of WNT pathway tumour suppressors in cancer | Jeroen M. Bugter et al. | Nature Reviews Cancer | View publication
- 2020 | RNF43 truncations trap CK1 to drive niche-independent self-renewal in cancer | Maureen Spit et al. | The EMBO Journal | View publication
- 2019 | Anti-LRP5/6 VHHs promote differentiation of Wnt-hypersensitive intestinal stem cells | Nicola Fenderico et al. | Nature Communications | View publication
- 2016 | Axin cancer mutants form nanoaggregates to rewire the Wnt signalling network | Zeinab Anvarian et al. | Nature Structural & Molecular Biology | View publication
- 2016 | Visualization of a short-range Wnt gradient in the intestinal stem cell niche | Henner F. Farin et al. | Nature | View publication
- 2012 | Tumour suppressor RNF43 is a stem cell E3 ligase that induces endocytosis of Wnt receptors | Bon-Kyoung Koo et al. | Nature | View publication
Members
| Madelon Maurice Group leader | Danai Kokkinidi PhD student | David Dannheisig PostDoc |
| Despina Xanthakis Technician | Felix van der Krift PostDoc | Ingrid Jordens Postdoc fellow |
| Jan Pieter Daan Visser Analyst | Jelte Van de Vaart Phd student | Jessie Kroonen Postdoc onderzoeker |
| Lisanne den Hartigh Research Analyst | Sabine Bosman Phd candidate | Susanna Plugge PhD student |
| Živa Pogačar PhD Candidate |