Projecten

een overzicht van recente onderzoeksprojecten

 

 

programme no. EMC 04-28-01       

core programme 3

Immunology and Hematology

subcluster 3.2

Infectious diseases: micro-organisms & host response

programme title

Infections due to bacteria, fungi and parasites: diagnosis, molecular mechanisms, epidemiology, therapy and prevention

main participants

Verbrugh Prof. Dr. H.A., Bakker-Woudenberg Mw. Dr. I.A.J.M., Van Belkum Prof. Dr. A., Endtz Dr. H.Ph.

key words

Prevention of (Nosocomial) infection, Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Therapy, Pathogenicity.

 

general objectives

The project is focused on the infectious complications caused by bacteria, fungi and parasites related to recent developments in clinical medicine, such as new therapeutic modalities or resistance, an increased use of medical devices, frequent diagnostic and therapeutic intervention, and an increasing number of immunocompromised patients. As a consequence, a growing number of patients are prone to severe (nosocomial) infections that are often difficult to treat. These infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients, which is partially enforced by failure of antibiotic treatment despite the availability of  potent antibiotics. The focus of this programme is on the molecular mechanism of infection, the epidemiology, the early diagnosis using molecular techniques, the prevention of infections, as well as treatment using alternative methods. The approach is partly fundamental/animal-experimental and partly clinical/epidemiological .

      

overzicht lopende projecten

 

Post-infectious sequelae of Campylobacter jejuni diarrhea

multidisciplinary project (involving Erasmus MC Immunology and Neurology departments) focussing on the etiology of the Guillain Barré Syndrome as induced by preceding C. jejuni diarrhea

bezetting

1 .6fte research technician, 2 PhD students, 1fte postdoc

projectleider(s)

dr. H.P. Endtz, prof.dr. A. van Belkum

extramurale financiering

Frontier Science Project RGP 38/2003 (Molecular basis and neurobiology of a post-infectious auto-immune disease: the Guillain-Barré Syndrome) $330.000,--; ended 15 november 2006. Per 1 november 2006 a project sponsored by the Dutch Maag Lever Darm Stichting has been started (110.000,-- financial support, duration three years).

interne samenwerking

dr. B. Jacobs, Neurology; prof.dr. P. van Doorn, Neurology; prof.dr. J. Laman, Immunology.

externe samenwerking

prof.dr. P. Crocker, Cell Biology, Edinburgh, UK; dr. M. Gilbert, NRC, Ottawa, Canada; dr. G. Visser, Organic Chemistry, Wageningen, The Netherlands; dr. J. van der Vossen, TNO Voeding, Zeist, The Netherlands; dr. N. Yuki, Neurology, Dokkyo, Japan; dr. H. Zuilhof, Physical Chemistry, Wageningen, The Netherlands

 

Clinical and epidemiological implications of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus

major research project of the department, focussing on epidemiology, prevention, determinants and molecular microbiology of S. aureus carriage

bezetting

2.0fte research technician, 1 PhD student,  1fte postdoc

projectleider(s)

prof.dr. A. van Belkum, prof.dr. H.A. Verbrugh

extramurale financiering

Revolving Fund Erasmus MC (Development and application of methods suited for high-speed diagnosis of nasal carriage of (methicicllin resistant) Staphylococcus aureus) €50.000,-- research support. EUR Trustfund (Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus: inoculation of site directed mutants in the noses of (non)carrying volunteers) €30.000,- research support

interne samenwerking

dr. M. Fieren, Nephrology; prof.dr. A. Hofman, Epidemiology; dr. J. Peeters, Bioinformatics; prof.dr. P. van der Spek, Bioinformatics; dr. A. Uitterlinden, Internal Medicine

externe samenwerking

dr. M. Al Ahdal, KFHRC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; dr. W. Al Aidan, KFHRC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; dr. J. Johnson, VAMC, Minneapolis, USA; dr. J. Kluytmans, Breda, The Netherlands; dr. P. Savelkoul, VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; dr. G. Simons, Pathofinder, Maastricht, The Netherlands; prof.dr. C. Vandebroucke-Grauls, VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

Etiology and epidemiology of infections caused by the madura foot causing agent Madurella mycetomatis

collaboration with the Madura Clinic in Khartoum, Sudan; involves a single PhD student working on the etiology, diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention and cure of this devastating disease

bezetting

1 PhD student

projectleider(s)

prof.dr. A. van Belkum

extramurale financiering

none

externe samenwerking

dr. A. Ahmed, KFHRC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; prof.dr. A. Fahal, University of Khartoum, Sudan

 

The use of Raman spectroscopy for subspecies identification of bacterial isolates

collaboration between the Center for Optical Diagnostics and Therapy and the Dept. Microbiology, geared towards the development of Raman tools for epidemiological monitoring of bacterial isolates and the development of real-time diagnostic microbiological assays

bezetting

1fte research technician

projectleider(s)

dr. G. Puppels, dr. H.P. Endtz, prof.dr. A. van Belkum

extramurale financiering

STW project Raman spectroscopy in medical microbiology (1fte technician for four years)

interne samenwerking

dr. K. Maquelin en dr. G. Puppels, Center for Optical Diagnosis and Therapy (CODT)

externe samenwerking

dr. P. Petit, MCRZ, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

 


Innovation of molecular diagnostics within medical microbiology

multiplex Ligation Probe Assays (MLPA) facilitate high-speed and sensitive detection of panels of microbial pathogens, a PhD student is working on the clinical implementation of high-throughput real time PCR tests in the microbiology laboratory

bezetting

1 PhD student , 1fte research technician

projectleider(s)

dr. G. Simons, dr. W. van Leeuwen, prof.dr. A. van Belkum

extramurale financiering

BTS (MLPA as a new method for the high speed diagnosis of infectious agents) €120.000,- research support

externe samenwerking

prof.dr. M.-Mikolajczyk, Medical Academy, Warsaw, Poland; dr. P. Oostvogel, MCH, Den Haag, The Netherlands; dr. H. Pituch, Medical Academy, Warsaw, Poland; prof.dr. J. Schrenzel, Basel, Zwitserland; ing. T. Schuurman, Streeklab, Groningen, The Netherlands; dr. G. Simons, Pathofinder, Maastricht, The Netherlands

 

Development of eradication methods for Moraxella catarrhalis, a major cause of otitis media in children

project that was finished December 2005, a single PhD student worked on this topic for the past four years, a successful collaboration with the local department of Pediatrics was established

bezetting

J.P. Hays

projectleider(s)

prof.dr. A. van Belkum

extramurale financiering

has been sponsored for two years by the Sophia Research Foundation

interne samenwerking

dr. J. Hazelzet, Pediatric IC

externe samenwerking

dr. P. Hermans, Lab Pediatrics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; prof.dr. J. Tommassen, RUU, Utrecht, The Netherlands

 

Novel Prevention and Treatment Strategies for Otitis Media through the Comprehensive Identification of Antigenic Proteins.

bezetting

dr. J.P. Hays, S. Verhaegh (OIO)

projectleider(s)

prof. dr. A. van Belkum, dr. J.P. Hays

extramurale financiering

EU-funded FP6 project.  Project  No. – 037653 (OMVac). € 355,000

interne samenwerking

Intercell AG, Vienna, Austria

AGOWA AG, Berlin, Germany

externe samenwerking

prof. dr. P. Hermans, RUNMC, Niujmegen, The Netherlands

prof. dr. B. Henriques-Normark, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

dr. E. Ban, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

dr. A. Kungl, KF-University Graz, Graz, Austria.

 

Role of Mobile Genetic Elements in the Spread of Antimicrobial Drug Resistance

bezetting

dr. J.P. Hays, M.A. Khan. (OIO)

projectleider(s)

prof.dr. A. van Belkum

extramurale financiering

EU-funded FP6 project.  Project  No. – 018705 (DRESP2). € 175,000

interne samenwerking

prof. dr. M. R. Oggioni, Università di Siena, Siena, Italy

dr. D. J. Farrell, GR Micro Ltd, UK

prof. dr. S. Stefani, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy

prof. dr. F. Baquero, Ramón y Cajal , Madrid, Spain

externe samenwerking

dr. L. Sundström, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sweden

prof. dr. A. Carattoli, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy

prof. dr. P. Nordmann, University Paris XI, Paris, France

dr. J-L Martínez, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Madrid, Spain

prof. dr. T. Walsh, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

dr. B. Libisch, Natl. Center Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary

 

Pathogenesis, diagnostics and treatment of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in the immunocompromised host, in vitro studies and animal studies.

bezetting

W. van de Sande, M. Tavakol (deels), M. T. ten Kate (deels)

projectleider(s)

dr. I.A.J.M. Bakker, prof. dr. A. van Belkum

extramurale financiering

has been sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. € 64.701,--, and Pfizer B.V. € 94.765,--

interne samenwerking

dr. B. Rijnders, dept. MMIZ; dr. R.A. Mathot, Hospital Pharmacy EMC

externe samenwerking

dr. C. Douglas, dr. J. Bowman, Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, NJ, USA

 

Beta-lactam resistance in Gram-negative bacteria: relevance of pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics in the selection of resistance, resistance mechanisms and prevention of resistance during treatment, in vitro studies and animal studies

bezetting

M. T. ten Kate (deels), N. Lemmens (deels)

projectleider(s)

dr. W.H.F. Goessens, dr. I.A.J.M. Bakker

extramurale financiering

ESCMID / AstraZeneca Research Grant € 40.000,--

externe samenwerking

dr. J.W. Mouton, Canisius Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

 

Therapy of tuberculosis: drug delivery to reduce treatment duration with prevention of resistance and latency, relevance of infecting (endemic) strain for treatment efficacy, dynamics of immune response to assess infection progress and treatment response

bezetting

J.E. de Steenwinkel (AIOS), G. de Knegt, M. T. ten Kate (deels)

projectleider(s)

dr. I.A.J.M. Bakker

interne samenwerking

prof. dr. A. van Belkum, dr. J.L. Nouwen, prof.dr. H.A. Verbrugh

extramurale financiering

none

externe samenwerking

dr. D. van Soolingen, Natl. Inst. Publ. Hlth. Environm., Bilthoven, The Netherlands;

dr. R.M. Schiffelers, Utrecht Inst. Pharm. Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands;

dr. R. Hernandez-Pando, Natl. Inst. Med. Sci. Nutr. Salvad. Zubiran, Dept.Pathology, Mexico

 

Protective human antibodies against multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (AntiStaph)

bezetting

S. van den Berg (OIO)

projectleider(s)

dr. I.A.J.M. Bakker, prof. dr. A. van Belkum

interne samenwerking

dr. W. van Wamel, drs. N. Verkaik

extramurale financiering

Top Instituut Pharma

externe samenwerking

prof. dr. J.M. van Dijl, University Medical Center Groningen,

prof. dr. H. Grundmann, University Medical Center Groningen,

dr. K. Leenhouts, Biomade Technology,

dr. H. Groen en dr. R. Lageveen, IQ Therapeutics, Groningen