Massis Krekorian
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Massis.Krekorian[at]radboudumc.nl +31(0)24 3616748 Lab 6.15 |
Radioactive nanoparticle-based targeting of autoreactive B cells in autoimmune disease
Autoreactive B cells have been shown to be associated in the development and progress of autoimmune disease, such as Sjögren’s syndrome, where the exocrine glands are affected. The B cells secrete autoantibodies that recognise self-antigens on healthy tissue, which are then attacked resulting in disease onset. No curative treatments are yet available.
The aim of my research is to target these autoreactive B cells specifically with radioactive nanoparticles for imaging purpose. The nanoparticles, elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-NH2 (PLGA-NH2) are coated on the surface with small molecular peptides or minibodies that recognise specific targets on the surface of the B cells. In order to find these specific peptides, we analyse the serum and isolate autoreactive B cells from patients and use molecular techniques, such as single cell RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry. This will enable the specific study of the disease-associated cells and provide a means to track the effects of B cell depletion therapies.