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Dermatology
P.O. Box 9101
6500 HB Nijmegen
T: +31 24 3614094

Joost Schalkwijk studied Biology in Nijmegen and Leiden. Currently he is professor of experimental dermatology and head of the Laboratory of Skin Biology, department of Dermatology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre.
Prof. Dr. Joost Schalkwijk

My fascination with skin biology is the way that an effective physical and antimicrobial barrier is maintained by epidermal keratinocytes. A current topic is the role of lysosomal proteases (legumain, cathepsins) in transglutaminase activation, and subsequent formation of the stratum corneum. Another area of interest is the role of host defense proteins in common skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Recently we have extended our studies to the dermal compartment, and we are currently investigating the role of tenascin-X in connective tissue biology and pathology. Our aim is to translate findings in basic science to applications in diagnostics and treatment of human disease.

 
Recent key publications

Edward J Hollox, Ulrike Huffmeier, Patrick L J M Zeeuwen, Raquel Palla, Jesús Lascorz, Diana Rodijk-Olthuis, Peter C M van de Kerkhof, Heiko Traupe, Gys de Jongh, Martin den Heijer, André Reis, John A L Armour & Joost Schalkwijk Psoriasis is associated with increased -defensin genomic copy number. Nature Genetics doi:10.1038/ng.2007.48

Kamsteeg M, Zeeuwen PL, de Jongh GJ, Rodijk-Olthuis D, Zeeuwen-Franssen ME, van Erp PE, Schalkwijk J. Increased expression of carbonic anhydrase II (CA II) in lesional skin of atopic dermatitis: regulation by Th2 cytokines. J Invest Dermatol. 2007 Jul;127(7):1786-9

Zweers MC, Peeters AC, Graafsma S, Kranendonk S, van der Vliet JA, den Heijer M, Schalkwijk J. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is associated with high serum levels of tenascin-X and decreased aneurysmal tissue tenascin-X. Circulation. 2006 Apr 4;113(13):1702-7

Cheng T, Hitomi K, van Vlijmen-Willems IM, de Jongh GJ, Yamamoto K, Nishi K, Watts C, Reinheckel T, Schalkwijk J, Zeeuwen PL. Cystatin M/E is a high affinity inhibitor of cathepsin V and cathepsin L by a reactive site that is distinct from the legumain-binding site. A novel clue for the role of cystatin M/E in epidermal cornification. J Biol Chem. 2006 Jun 9;281(23):15893-9.

de Jongh GJ, Zeeuwen PL, Kucharekova M, Pfundt R, van der Valk PG, Blokx W, Dogan A, Hiemstra PS, van de Kerkhof PC, Schalkwijk J. High expression levels of keratinocyte antimicrobial proteins in psoriasis compared with atopic dermatitis. J Invest Dermatol. 2005, 125:1163-73.

Zeeuwen, P. L., Vlijmen-Willems, I. M., Olthuis, D., Johansen, H. T., Hitomi, K., Hara-Nishimura, I., Powers, J. C., James, K. E., op den Camp, H. J., Lemmens, R., and Schalkwijk, J. Evidence that unrestricted legumain activity is involved in disturbed epidermal cornification in cystatin M/E deficient mice. Hum.Mol.Genet. 2004 13(10), 1069-1079.

Schalkwijk, J., Zweers, M. C., Steijlen, P. M., Dean, W. B., Taylor, G., van Vlijmen, I. M., van Haren, B., Miller, W. L., and Bristow, J.2001. A recessive form of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome caused by tenascin-X deficiency. N.Engl.J. Med. 345(16), 1167-1175.