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Joost Kluiver
dr.

I have a central role in all research projects focusing on the role of noncoding RNAs. My main aim is to understanding how small and long non-coding RNAs contribute to the pathogenesis of B-cell lymphoma. Ongoing studies include MYC-regulated miRNAs and lncRNAs, as well as miRNA-lncRNA interactions and the role of circular RNAs. We apply state-of-the-art methodology including AGO2-RIP, RNA-FISH and gain- and loss-of-function screens using shRNA and CRISPR-Cas technology.

Dynamics of circulating tumour DNA in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients
Published in: British Journal of Haematology
Access to document 10.1111/bjh.70296 document
The response to salvage chemotherapy in relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is poor, and data on circulating tumour deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) in this setting are limited. We evaluated ctDNA dynamics in 29 patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL who received platinum-based salvage chemotherapy at the University Medical Center Groningen. In total, 124 plasma samples were analysed using low-coverage whole-genome sequencing to detect copy number alterations (CNAs) and targeted sequencing with a 115-gene panel for single- and multi-nucleotide variants (SNVs/MNVs). The complete response rate at the end...
Yujie Zhong, Johanna Bult, Nick Veltmaat, Filipe Montes de Jesus, Laurens Sillje, Joost Kluiver, Anke van den Berg, Wouter Plattel, Arjan Diepstra, Marcel Nijland
Metastatic mismatch repair deficient oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma leading to diagnosis of Lynch syndrome with a complete response to nivolumab treatment
Published in: Virchows Archiv : an International Journal of Pathology
Access to document 10.1007/s00428-025-04269-1 document
A 59-year-old woman with two colorectal adenocarcinomas in 2015 and 2022 (both with loss of MSH2 and focal presence of MSH6 protein, thus MMR-deficient profile) had a variant of c.1012G > C p.(Gly338Arg) in the MSH2 gene, classified as Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS) in 2023. That year, she was also diagnosed with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), again MMR-deficient. Although uncommon, a proportion of ESCC can be MMR-deficient. The ESCC showed complete response to nivolumab. Genetic studies of the three tumours showed the same germline variant. During follow-up, the...
H H Wang, G Kats-Ugurlu, R H Sijmons, J L Kluiver, S Z Commandeur-Jan, W Noordzij, B van Etten, J T M Plukker, G A P Hospers, D G Knapen
Palmitoylation by ZDHHC family members regulate B-cell lymphoma growth
Published in: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Access to document 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145876 document
The ZDHHC palmitoyl transferase family consists of 24 members, of which several have been linked to the development of cancer. We previously showed that inhibition of ZDHHC11 decreased growth of several B-cell lymphoma subtypes. In this study, we evaluated the effect of protein palmitoylation on the proteome in general and investigated expression and function of ZDHHC family members in a panel of Burkitt, Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell lines. Proteomic analysis of Burkitt lymphoma cells treated with the general palmitoylation inhibitor 2-bromopalmitate (2-BP) revealed 1089 differentially...
Yichen Liu, Shiyun Hu, Özlem Önder, Anagh Sahasrabuddhe, Ali Rajabi, Annika Seitz, Debora de Jong, Jasper Koerts, Lydia Visser, Agnieszka Dzikiewicz-Krawczyk, Megan S Lim, Kojo S Elenitoba-Johnson, Anke van den Berg, Lotteke J Y M Ziel-Swier, Joost Kluiver
miRNA-dependent resistance mechanisms to anti-hormonal therapies in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients
Published in: Molecular therapy. Oncology
Access to document 10.1016/j.omton.2025.200941 document
The estrogen receptor (ERα) is expressed in 70%-80% of breast cancers and is a target of endocrine therapy. However, resistance to endocrine therapy poses a significant clinical challenge. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical players in oncogenesis and as modulators of therapy response. This review provides an overview of miRNAs that modulate anti-hormonal drug responses. We identified 56 miRNAs associated with resistance to endocrine therapy. These miRNAs had a total of 40 proven target genes that were grouped based on their function under currently known resistance mechanisms, including...
Zainab Salam Al Hashami, Bert van der Vegt, Marian J E Mourits, Joost Kluiver, Anke van den Berg
Molecular profiling of cell-free DNA from classic Hodgkin lymphoma patients identifies potential prognostic clusters and corresponds with disease dynamics
Published in: Annals of Hematology
Access to document 10.1007/s00277-025-06328-8 document
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis has advantages over tissue analysis for molecular profiling of classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) at diagnosis and offers additional opportunities for sensitive non-invasive disease tracking during treatment. The aim of this study is to correlate cfDNA based molecular profiling with disease characteristics including serum Thymus and Activation Regulated Chemokine (TARC) levels and FDG-PET imaging, which are established markers of disease assessment. cfDNA isolated from plasma samples of 42 cHL patients was analyzed using low coverage whole genome and targeted next-generation sequencing. Patients were clustered in...
Nick Veltmaat, Geok-Wee Tan, Yujie Zhong, Sophie Teesink, Martijn Terpstra, Johanna Bult, Marcel Nijland, Joost Kluiver, Arjan Diepstra, Anke van den Berg, Wouter J Plattel