Hol Elly

Hol Elly Country: Netherlands
Laboratory webpage
E-mail: e.m.hol-2@umcutrecht.nl

Participation in Working Groups

  • WG1 - Biophysics of cell and tissue structure
  • WG2 - Structural analysis of biomolecules involved in mechanobiology
  • WG3 - New methodologies to study mechanobiology of cells and tissues
  • WG4 - Mechanobiological principles of rare and common diseases

Research Interests

My lab studies the role of astrocytes and microglia in several neurological and psychiatric diseases. The main aim of our research is to understand the molecular and functional changes in reactive glia and to study the regenerative potential of the astrocytic stem cells in brain diseases. We are studying the function of intermediate filament proteins, such as GFAP, which are highly regulated cytoskeletal structures with a major role in astrocytic cell signaling. The ultimate goal of our research is to develop therapeutic strategies to control reactive gliosis and to stimulate the endogenous repair capacity of the astrocytic stem cells in brain diseases.

Technologies offered to other EuroCellNet participants

We offer state of the art cell and molecular biological techniques on human and mouse brain cells. We have set up techniques to isolate microglia and astrocytes from mouse and human brains (post-mortem). We have extensive experience in working with post-mortem human brain tissue (immunocytochemistry, qPCR, microarray, RNAseq). We have tools to study the GFAP-cytoskeleton, and the differnt GFAP spliceisoforms.

Technologies sought from other EuroCellNet participants

Electron microscopy, high resolution imaging, access to human brain tissue of patients with a stroke or glioma.

Publications

Moeton, M., Stassen, O.M.J.A., Sluijs, J.A., van der Meer, V., Kluivers, L. J., van Hoorn, H., Schmidt, T., Reits, E.A., van Strien, M.E. and Hol, E.M. GFAP isoforms control intermediate filament network dynamics, cell morphology, and focal adhesions. Cell Mol Life Sci (May 3 Epub).

Kamphuis, W., Kooijman, L., Orre, M., Stassen, O., Pekny, M., and Hol, E.M. GFAP and vimentin deficiency alters gene expression in astrocytes and microglia in Wild-Type mice and changes the transcriptional response of reactive glia in mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease. Glia 63 (2015) 1036-1056

Orre, M., Kamphuis, W., Osborn, L,. Jansen, A., Kooijman, L., Bossers,K., and Hol, E.M. Isolation of glia from Alzheimer’s mice reveals inflammation and dysfunction. Neurobiology of aging 35 (2014) :2746-2760 (Epub 14 June 2014).

Moeton, M., Kanski, R. ,Stassen, O.M., Sluijs, J.A., Geerts, D., van Tijn, P., Wiche, G., van Strien, M.E., and Hol, E.M. Silencing GFAP isoforms in astrocytoma cells disturbs laminin-dependent motility and cell adhesion. FASEB J 28 (2014) 2942-2954 (Epub 2 April 2014).

Van Strien, M.E., Sluijs, J.A., Reynolds, B.A., Steindler, D., Aronica, E., and Hol, E.M. Isolation of neural stem cells from the human adult subventricular zone based on expression of the cell surface marker CD271. Stem cells Translational Medicine 3 (2014) 470-480.

News

News archive