Our groups
Monika Wolkers Group

T cell effector function, post-transcriptional gene regulation, RNA binding proteins

Sanquin
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Our Focus

My lab studies how T cell responses against tumours and infections are generated and maintained. We 1) study T cell responses against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and paediatric neuroblastoma, with the aim to bring TIL therapy to the clinic. T cell products are also generated for cancer patients from peripheral-blood T cells for the production of e.g. CAR or TCR-transgenic T cells. Therefore, we 2) investigate the heterogeneity and functionality of blood-derived human T cells, in particular how this heterogeneity translates into their capacity to kill target cells, and how most potent T cell products can be generated and maintained. Furthermore, it is critical to decipher the molecular mechanisms that drive T cell effector function. We therefore 3) investigate how post-transcriptional events define T cell function and how it can be modified, with a specific focus on the role of RNA-binding proteins herein. We recently set up analysis pipelines to define the role of sequence determinants in transcripts in the protein output from transcripts. Unravelling these regulatory mechanisms in protein expression are thus key to our understanding of T cell functionality. 

About Monika Wolkers

My Research

Monika Wolkers did her PhD research at the Netherlands Cancer Institute on antigen presentation in the group of Ton Schumacher. After her postdoctoral training on the molecular imprinting of T cell memory in the groups of Stephen Schoenberger, Douglas Green (La Jolla Institute, San Diego and St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Memphis) and on the role of aptoptosis molecules in immune responses in Jan Paul Medema’s lab (Amsterdam UMC), she started her research group in 2010 at Sanquin. Her research focusses on T cell effector function in health and disease.

Key Publications

  1. Nicolet BP, Guislain A, van Alphen F, van den Biggelaar M, Gomez-Eerland R, Schumacher TN, Wolkers MC. CD29 identifies IFN-g producing human CD8+ T cells with an increased cytotoxic potential. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. 2020. 117: 6686-6696

  2. De Groot R*, van Loenen MM*, Guislain A, van den Heuvel MM, de Jong J, Burger P, Spaapen RM, Amsen D, Haanen JBAG, Monkhorst K, Hartemink KJ, Wolkers MC. Polyfunctional tumor-reactive T cells are effectively expanded from non-small cell lung cancers, and correlate with an immune-engaged T cell profile. Oncoimmunology 2019. 8(11):e1648170

  3. Salerno F, Guislain A, Freen-van Heeren JJ, Nicolet B, Young HA, Wolkers MC. Critical role of post-transcriptional regulation for IFN-γ in tumor-infiltrating T cells. Oncoimmunology, 2018. 8:e1532762.

  4. Salerno F, Engels S, van den Biggelaar M, van Alphen F, Guislain A, Zhao W, Hodge D, Bell SE, Medema JP, von Lindern M, Turner M, Young HA, and Wolkers MC. Translation repression through AU-rich elements prevents aberrant cytokine production in memory T cells. Nature Immunology, 2018. 19:828-837.

  5. Salerno F, Pasolini NA, Stark R, von Lindern M, Wolkers MC. Distinct PKC-mediated post-transcriptional events set cytokine production kinetics in CD8+ T cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 2017. 114:9677-9682.

Members

Monika Wolkers
Group leader		Anouk Jurgens    
OIO		Antonia Bradarić    
Research Technician
Branka Popovic    
Post Doc		Kaspar Bresser    
PostDoc		Koos Rooijers    
Bioinformatician
Leyma Wardak    
PhD student		Maria Valeria Lattanzio    
Onderzoek in opleiding		Maxime Steinmetz    
PhD Student
Nandhini Kanagasabesan    
Junior Bioinformatician		Nestor Martin    
Analyst		Nila H. Servaas    
PostDoc
Suzanne Castenmiller    
Technician		Zan Hozjan    
PhD student