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Nephrology
P.O. box 9101
6500 HB Nijmegen
The Netherlands
T: +31 24 3616539
T: +31 24 3614621
F: +31 24 3540339


Johan van der Vlag is associate professor in Experimental Nephrology and heads the Nephrology Research Laboratory of the department of Nephrology. He is theme leader of N4i theme “Autoimmunity and transplantation Biology”. He is secretary of the scientific board of the Dutch Federation of Nephrology and Berlin visiting professor in Diabetes (2010).
Dr. Johan van der Vlag

Research follows two main lines: (i) Glomerular diseases; (ii) Transplantation immunology

Research on glomerular diseases is aimed at unraveling the underlying molecular mechanisms of proteinuria, glomerular inflammation and sclerosis. Research focuses on the role of heparan sulfate at the structure-functional level and the glomerular endothelial glycocalyx. The development of anti-chromatin autoantibodies and lupus nephritis is another key interest, and focuses on the effects of apoptotic blebs and apoptosis-induced chromatin modifications on dendritic cells. Research on transplantation immunology focuses on the generation and characterization of tolerogenic dendritic cells, and the role of chemokines and heparan sulfate. All research in the Nephrology Research Laboratory is aimed to translate findings in new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for renal diseases.

 
Recent key publications

Fransen JH, Hilbrands LB, Jacobs CW, Adema GJ, Berden JH, Van der Vlag J: Both
early and late apoptotic blebs are taken up by DC and induce IL-6 production.
Autoimmunity 42:325-327, 2009

van Bavel CC, Dieker J, Muller S, Briand JP, Monestier M, Berden JH, van der
Vlag J: Apoptosis-associated acetylation on histone H2B is an epitope for lupus
autoantibodies. Molecular Immunology 47:511-516, 2009

Fransen JH, Hilbrands LB, Ruben J, Stoffels M, Adema GJ, van der Vlag J,
Berden JH: Mouse dendritic cells matured by ingestion of apoptotic blebs induce T
cells to produce interleukin-17. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 60:2304-2313, 2009

van den Hoven MJ, Waanders F, Rops AL, Kramer AB, van Goor H, Berden JH, Navis
G, van der Vlag J: Regulation of glomerular heparanase expression by aldosterone,
angiotensin II and reactive oxygen species. Nephrology Dialysis & Transplantation 24:2637-2645, 2009

van den Hoven MJ, Wijnhoven TJ, Li JP, Zcharia E, Dijkman HB, Wismans RG, Rops AL, Lensen JF, van den Heuvel LP, van Kuppevelt TH, Vlodavsky I, Berden JHM, Van der Vlag J: Reduction of anionic sites in the glomerular basement membrane by heparanase does not lead to proteinuria. Kidney International 73:278-287, 2008

Rops AL, van den Hoven MJ, Baselmans MM, Lensen JF, Wijnhoven TJ, van den Heuvel LP, van Kuppevelt TH, Berden JH, Van der Vlag J: Heparan sulfate domains on cultured activated glomerular endothelial cells mediate leukocyte trafficking. Kidney International 73:52-62, 2008

Rops AL, Gotte M, Baselmans MH, van den Hoven MJ, Steenbergen EJ, Lensen JF, Wijnhoven TJ, Cevikbas F, van den Heuvel LP, van Kuppevelt TH, Berden JH, Van der Vlag J: Syndecan-1 deficiency aggravates anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis. Kidney International 72:1204-1215, 2007

Dieker JW, Fransen JH, van Bavel CC, Briand JP, Jacobs CW, Muller S, Berden JH, Van der Vlag J: Apoptosis-induced acetylation of histones is pathogenic in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis and Rheumatism 56:1921-1933, 2007