Group leader: Prof.dr. Jan Hoeijmakers
Damage to our genome occurs continuously in every cell at a massive scale. DNA damage leads to mutations that drive carcinogenesis or triggers cell death and senescence causing functional decline and aging. Our main research focus is the interplay between DNA damage accumulation and repair in cancer (therapy) and (accelerated) aging and neurodegeneration. By studying molecular mechanisms up to patients we intend to obtain an integral understanding and derive rational-based effective strategies, including nutritional and pharmacological interventions which promote overall healthy aging and reduce severe long term side effects and improve quality of life in children cured from cancer.
Hoeijmakers, J.H.J. Genome maintenance mechanisms for preventing cancer. (2001) Nature 411:366-374 (most cited paper in molec. sciences from Dutch scientist in 2000-2010). PubMed PMID: 11357144
de Boer, J., Andressoo, J.O., de Wit, J., Huijmans, J., Beems, R.B., van Steeg, H., Weeda, G., van der Horst, G.T.J., van Leeuwen, W., Themmen, A.P.N., Meradji, M. and Hoeijmakers, J.H.J. Premature aging in mice deficient in DNA repair and transcription. (2002) Science (research article), 296:1276-1279. (see also Comments in Science, 296, 1250-1251, and in DNA Repair 2, 437-439). PubMed PMID: 11950998
Niedernhofer, L.J., Garinis, G.A., Raams, A., Lalai, S.A., Robinson, R.A., Appeldoorn, E., Odijk, H., Oostendorp, R., Ahmad, A., van Leeuwen, W., Theil, A., Vermeulen, W., van der Horst, G.T., Meinecke, P., Kleijer, W., Vijg, J., Jaspers, N.G.J., Hoeijmakers, J.H.J. A new progeriod syndrome reveals that genotoxic stress suppresses the somatotroph axis. (2006) Nature (research article) 444:1038-1043. (see also accompanying ‘News and Views’ Nature by Kirkwood). PubMed PMID: 17183314
Marteijn, J.A., Lans, H., Vermeulen, W. and Hoeijmakers J.H.J. Understanding nucleotide excision repair and its roles in cancer and ageing. (2014) Nature Rev Mol Cell Biol 15:465-481. PubMed PMID: 24954209
Vermeij W.P., Dollé M.E.T., Reiling E., Jaarsma D., Payan-Gomez C, Bombardieri C.R., Wu H., Roks A.J.M., Botter S.M., van der Eerden B.C., Youssef S.A., Kuiper R.V., Nagarajah B., van Oostrom C.T., Brandt R.M.C., Barnhoorn S., Imholz S., Pennings J.L.A., de Bruin A., Gyenis Á., Pothof J, Vijg J, van Steeg H., and Hoeijmakers J.H.J. Restricted diet delays accelerated aging and genomic stress in DNA repair deficient mice. (2016) Nature 537:427-431 (see also accompanying Nature ‘News and Views’ of Oshima and Martin, p316-317). PubMed PMID: 27556946
