BiographY
Principal Investigator, Associate Professor at the Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht
I am a Principal Investigator (PI) at the Center for Translational Immunology, where my primary focus lies in pioneering the development of innovative preclinical models to better understand and predict the role immune cells in disease development and progression. With a specific emphasis on the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) on immune cell function, my research aims to bridge the gap between bench and bedside by translating scientific insights into clinical applications. By using cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary approaches, I seek to unravel the heterogeneity and dynamics of immune cell interactions and their influence on controlling cancer. These preclinical models serve as invaluable tools for elucidating underlying mechanisms, predicting therapeutic responses, and ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Research Projects
- Immune supression in the TME
- Immunological synapses
- Tumor recognition by gamma delta TCRs
Personal Fellowships & Awards
Scientific Publications
Alieva M, Barrera Román M, de Blank S, Petcu D, Zeeman AL, Dautzenberg NMM, Cornel AM, van de Ven C, Pieters R, den Boer ML, Nierkens S, Calkoen FGJ, Clevers H, Kuball J, Sebestyén Z, Wehrens EJ, Dekkers JF, Rios AC. BEHAV3D: a 3D live imaging platform for comprehensive analysis of engineered T cell behavior and tumor response. Nat Protoc. 2024 Mar 19. doi: 10.1038/s41596-024-00972-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38504137.
CRISPR screens decode cancer cell pathways that trigger γδ T cell detection.
Mamedov MR , Vedova S, Freimer JW , Sahu AD , Ramesh A, Arce MM, Meringa AD, Ota M, Chen PA, Hanspers K, Nguyen VQ, Takeshima KA, Pritchard JK, Kuball J , Sebestyen Z, Adams EJ , and Marson A. Nature. 2023 Sep;621(7977):188-195. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06482-x.
PMID: 37648854Uncovering the mode of action of engineered T cells in patient cancer organoids.
Dekkers JF, Alieva M, Cleven A, Keramati F, Wezenaar AKL, van Vliet EJ, Puschhof J, Brazda P, Johanna I, Meringa AD, Rebel HG, Buchholz MB, Barrera Román M, Zeeman AL, de Blank S, Fasci D, Geurts MH, Cornel AM, Driehuis E, Millen R, Straetemans T, Nicolasen MJT, Aarts-Riemens T, Ariese HCR, Johnson HR, van Ineveld RL, Karaiskaki F, Kopper O, Bar-Ephraim YE, Kretzschmar K, Eggermont AMM, Nierkens S, Wehrens EJ, Stunnenberg HG, Clevers H*, Kuball J*, Sebestyen Z*, Rios AC*. *shared supervision. Nat Biotechnol. 2023 Jan;41(1):60-69. doi: 10.1038/s41587-022-01397-w. Epub 2022 Jul 25 PMID: 35879361γ9δ2T cell diversity and the receptor interface with tumor cells. Vyborova A, Beringer DX, Fasci D, Karaiskaki F, van Diest E, Kramer L, de Haas A, Sanders J, Janssen A, Straetemans T, Olive D, Leusen J, Boutin L, Nedellec S, Schwartz SL, Wester MJ, Lidke KA, Scotet E, Lidke DS, Heck AJ, Sebestyen Z, Kuball J. J Clin Invest. 2020 Sep 1;130(9):4637-4651. doi: 10.1172/JCI132489.
PMID: 32484803Translating gammadelta (γδ) T cells and their receptors into cancer cell therapies.
Sebestyen Z, Prinz I, Déchanet-Merville J, Silva-Santos B, Kuball J. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2020 Mar;19(3):169-184doi: 10.1038/s41573-019-0038-z. Review. PMID: 31492944Johanna I, Straetemans T, Heijhuurs S, Aarts-Riemens T, Norell H, Bongiovanni L, de Bruin A, Sebestyen Z, Kuball J. Evaluating in vivo efficacy - toxicity profile of TEG001 in humanized mice xenografts against primary human AML disease and healthy hematopoietic cells. J Immunother Cancer. 2019 Mar 12;7(1):69. doi: 10.1186/s40425-019-0558-4. PMID: 30871629; PMCID: PMC6419469.