Professor of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology Yvette van Kooyk unravelled the mystery of how cancer, autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases (such as HIV/AIDS) are able to disrupt the immune system. She develops nanomedicines that help the immune system fight cancer and other diseases.
Certain sugar molecules can stimulate—or, indeed, inhibit—communication between cells. Our immune system is involved in all diseases, and the communication between cells of the immune system determines whether you fall ill and how severe the symptoms are.
It turns out that the body does not recognise tumour cells because they coat themselves with sugar molecules. There are good sugars that trigger the immune system to act, and, conversely, bad sugars that turn off the immune system.
Van Kooyk received the Spinoza Prize in 2019. She is using the grant to raise awareness of immunology, establish a network of glycoimmunologists and strengthen the ties between research and clinical practice—and, of course, to fund further research.
The Spinoza Prize is the most prestigious award in Dutch academia. It is awarded annually to four researchers.