Tom Schoufour
Research:
Our immune system is our biggest asset to fight cancer. Many oncogenic cells are cleared effectively in our bodies on a daily basis. However, cancers that become threatening are very adept at evading the immune system. A deeper understanding of immunoregulatory processes such as immune checkpoints and local cancer tolerance is essential to grasp what happens during oncogenic immune evasion. Using genome-wide CRISPR activation screens we can investigate which ligands interact with known inhibitory receptors. We have identified a new ligand for a known inhibitory receptor on macrophages and are currently investigating its role in immune responses.
Curriculum Vitae:
I completed my Biomedical Studies at the University of Amsterdam with a focus on advanced microscopy. During my research internship with the Molecular Cytology lab at the University of Amsterdam I quantified the interaction rates of the MEK-ERK pathway with Fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy. I developed my cloning and microscopy skills further at the University of Cambridge where I characterized different phenotypes of G12 KRAS mutations using Akt and ERK FRET sensors. In 2020 I joined the Neefjes group as a PhD student to identify new interaction partners of MHC class I molecules by using genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screens.
Publications
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Externalized histone H4 orchestrates chronic inflammation by inducing lytic cell death.
Silvestre-Roig, C., Braster, Q., Wichapong, K., Lee, E. Y., Teulon, J. M., Berrebeh, N., Winter, J., Adrover, J. M., Santos, G. S., Froese, A., Lemnitzer, P., Ortega-Gómez, A., Chevre, R., Marschner, J., Schumski, A.,Schoufour, T., … Soehnlein
Nature, 569(7755). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1167-6
