R. (roos) Masereeuw

Biography

Research in the Masereeuw group is focused on understanding the pathways that can be pharmacologically triggered to enhance repair and regeneration processes after organ injury, aiming at elucidating novel bio-inpired therapeutic strategies. Her research can be roughly divided in two lines: 1. disease modeling, and 2. regenerative (nephro)pharmacology. 1. Disease modeling – Aims are to unravel the interactions between (therapeutic) molecules and biological systems in organ systems. For this humanized in vitro systems are being applied that functionally mimic (patients) organs, which includes the use of innovative technologies for 3-dimensional organ cultures such as microfluidics (organs-on-chip technology). These experimental tools should aid in translating molecular interactions into therapeutic effects. Target organs currently involve (but are not restricted to) the kidney and the intestine, individually and combined, allowing studying the interaction between two organs when one of them fails. 2. Regenerative (nephro-)pharmacology – Aims are to develop novel therapeutic strategies to accelerate organ function recovery during failure and to gain insight in processes that determine the excretion of metabolic wastes and drugs by the kidneys to develop novel interventions for renal disease. The past years, novel renal tubular excretion pathways were identified, as well as regulatory pathways towards the transporters involved that can be pharmacologically triggered to improve function during kidney failure. The Masereeuw group has developed unique, patented, human renal cell lines with a high predictive value for drug and waste product transport and metabolism. These cell lines are used in the development of a bioartificial kidney, a kidney-on-a-chip device suitable for in vitro toxicity testing of chemical entities and drugs in development, and for studying the renal tubular secretion and reabsorption machinery.

Research Interest

Drug Innovation