Area of research
Molecular Biology · Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Research interest
Cancer research During my PhD research I used the power of reverse genetics to reveal how the significance of a DNA repair system (homologous recombination) makes an important contribution to genome stability in mammals. This insight was published in ‘Cell’ (Essers et al., Cell 1997, 89, 195-204) because it did change the dogma in the field at that time which stated that homologous recombination was important only for lower eukaryotes, such as yeast. These findings opened up the way to new research, both fundamental as well as clinical improvement of radiotherapy. Drugs based on exploiting the homologous recombination defect inherent to hereditary cases of breast cancer associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, like poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 inhibitors, have subsequently found their a
Ercc1 DNA repair deficiency results in vascular aging characterized by VSMC phenotype switching, ECM remodeling, and an increased stress response
Genetic and clinical determinants of abdominal aortic diameter: genome-wide association studies, exome array data and Mendelian randomization study
Local endothelial DNA repair deficiency causes aging-resembling endothelial-specific dysfunction
Burger J, van Vliet N, van Heijningen P, Kumra H, Kremers GJ, Alves M, van Cappellen G, Yanagisawa H, Reinhardt DP, Kanaar R, van der Pluijm I, Essers J. Fibulin-4 deficiency differentially affects cytoskeleton structure and dynamics as well as TGFβ signaling. Cell Signal. 2019 Jun;58:65-78.
— 2019cited by 0position: selected
Current and Emerging Preclinical Approaches for Imaging-Based Characterization of Atherosclerosis
An MR-compatible antenna and application in a murine superficial hyperthermia applicator. Raaijmakers EAL, Mestrom RMC, Sumser K, Salim G, van Rhoon GC, Essers J, Paulides MM. Int J Hyperthermia. 2018;34(6):697-703
— 2018cited by 0position: selected
Ramnath NW, Hawinkels LJ, van Heijningen PM, te Riet L, Paauwe M, Vermeij M, Danser AH, Kanaar R, ten Dijke P, Essers J. Fibulin-4 deficiency increases TGF-β signalling in aortic smooth muscle cells due to elevated TGF-β2 levels. Sci Rep. 2015 Nov 26;5:16872
— 2015cited by 0position: selected
Absence of Cardiovascular Manifestations in a Haploinsufficient Tgfbr1 Mouse Model
Imaging preclinical tumor models: improving translational power. de Jong M, Essers J, van Weerden WM. Nat Rev Cancer. 2014; 7:481-93.
— 2014cited by 0position: selected
RTEL1 contributes to DNA replication and repair and telomere maintenance
Mild hyperthermia inhibits homologous recombination, induces BRCA2 degradation, and sensitizes cancer cells to poly (ADPribose) polymerase-1 inhibition. (2011) Krawczyk*, P.M., Eppink*, B., Essers*, J., Stap*, J., Rodermond, H., Odijk, H., Zelensky, A., van Bree, C., Stalpers, L.J., Buist, M.R., et
— 2011cited by 0position: selected
ATP-dependent and independent functions of Rad54 in genome maintenance. Agarwal S, van Cappellen WA, Guénolé A, Eppink B, Linsen SE, Meijering E, Houtsmuller A, Kanaar R, Essers J. J Cell Biol. 2011;192(5):735-50.
— 2011cited by 0position: selected