EBMT

• EBMT Treasurer
• Chairperson – Immunobiology WP

• Chairperson Inborn Errors WP
• Chairperson Paediatric Diseases WP

EBMT TREASURER

NAME: Jan Cornelissen MD, PhD CENTRE: MC/Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center CIC: 246 CITY: Utrecht COUNTRY: The Netherlands

I graduated in Medicine in 1985 at the State University Utrecht, The Netherlands, and subsequently in Internal Medicine (1990) and Haematology (1993) at the University Hospital Utrecht. I obtained my PhD in 1991 in infectious diseases. Since 1994, I have been the director of the transplant programme at the Erasmus Medical Center-Daniel Den Hoed, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and in 2005 I was awarded the position of Professor of Haematology chairing Haematopoietic Stem cell Transplantation at the centre. In 1999 I spent a sabbatical in Seattle with Rainer Storb, MD.

My current interest are:

	Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acute myeloid and lymphoid leukaemia
	Immune reconstitution and thymic function post transplantation
	Development of thymic regenerative therapy
	Opportunistic infections post transplantation

I currently serve as a member of the scientific counsel of the Dutch Cancer Society, and as chairman of the Transplantation-Working Group ‘Stichting Hemato-Oncologie voor Volwassenen Nederland’ (HOVON), and as board member of the Dutch Society of Haematology.

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IMMUNOBIOLOGY WORKING PARTY CHAIRPERSON

NAME: Frederik Falkenburg MD, PhD CENTRE: Leiden University Hospital CIC: 203 CITY: Leiden COUNTRY: The Netherlands

I graduated in Medicine in 1980 from Leiden University, The Netherlands, and received my PhD in 1985, my board certification in Internal Medicine in 1988 and in Haematology in 1991 from the Leiden University Medical Center.  From 1988 – 1989 I worked as a Visiting Scientist in the Department of Immunology/Haematology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.. From 1990 – 1995 I was awarded a special fellowship from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences to study the (immuno) biology of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Since 1998 I have been head of the Laboratory of Experimental Haematology of the LUMC. In 1999 I was appointed as full Professor of Haematology.

From 1996 – 1998 I was the medical director of the Dutch umbilical cord blood bank (EuroCord Netherland Foundation) to set up the logistics of Cord blood banking in the Netherlands. From 2001-2004 I served as a member of the Scientific Council of the Dutch Cancer Society, and as chairman of the Council from 2004 – 2007. I am also a member of the Editoral Boards of Blood, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Haematologica, and Experimental Haematology. I am a member of the EBMT, ASH, EHA, ISEH, ISCT, and the Dutch Societies of  Haematology (Board Member) and Immunology. I received various special awards including the C.J. Kok-Award for research on immunology of bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy of leukemia, and in 2000 the GILEAD Science-Prize 2000 for outstanding improvements in BMT, and the The Second Siebold Nagasaki Medical Award.

My special research interests are the development of new immunological strategies to improve the outcome of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). To achieve this goal I am currently coordinating the following research projects in Leiden :

Some of these projects are included in the European Commission’s Sixth Framework programme AlloStem, (co-ordinator Dr. A. Madrigal, London) of which I am the work package leader.

The Immunobiology working party of the EBMT has great opportunities to study the immunological characteristics of allogeneic SCT and immunotherapy to improve outcome. This could be undertaken by developing various strategies:

	Characterisation of the effect of HLA and non-HLA polymorphisms on the outcome of allogeneic SCT and immunotherapy
	The characterisation of allogeneic immune responses involved in GVL and GVHD both after HLA matched and partially mismatched transplantation.
	Characterisation of the role of mismatches for NK receptors in the outcome of allogeneic SCT.
	The analysis of permissive and beneficial HLA mismatches allowing specific anti-tumour reactivity after transplantation.
	Studying the role of regulatory and suppressive T-cell responses in the beneficial control of GVHD and possible harmful suppression of GVL.
	Facilitation of the translation of basic immunological studies into clinical application by interaction between European centres decreasing administrative barriers to perform clinical studies.
	Further exploration of the use of various sources of stem cells and immune cells for allogeneic stem cell transplantation including cord blood cells, partially mismatched family donors, as well as ‘off the shelf’ cell populations.

1. By improving the exchange of ideas and collaboration between the members of the EBMT and through the combined development of clinical studies, the Immunobiology Working Party may further contribute to the success of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy of both malignant and non-malignant disorders.

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IMMUNOBIOLOGY WORKING PARTY CHAIRPERSON

NAME: Andrea Velardi CENTRE: Ospedale Santa Maria Della Misericordia CIC: 794 CITY: Perugia COUNTRY: Italy

I graduated in Medicine in 1975 and specialised in Internal Medicine in 1980 at the University of Perugia, Italy. In 1982-84, I was awarded a NATO Research Fellowship for post-doc training at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA (under the supervision of Prof. Max D. Cooper) where I studied the development of the immune system. I continued my training at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne, Switzerland (Lorenzo Moretta's laboratory) where I performed research on immune responses against tumours. Upon returning to Perugia University, I was appointed Lecturer in Clinical Immunology and Head of the Clinical Immunology Service in 1992, Associate Professor of Haematology in 2002 and Full Professor in 2005.

As part of the Perugia allogeneic bone marrow transplant team headed by Prof. Massimo F. Martelli, I have established a research team and developed projects investigating immune reconstitution after allogeneic haematopoietic transplantation and anti-tumour T-cell and NK cell immunity. In 1993 the Perugia BMT Centre pioneered the haploidentical haematopoietic stem cell transplant for patients with acute leukaemia and, within that setting, I discovered that Natural Killer (NK) cell alloreactivity exerts striking control of leukaemia relapse. This seminal breakthrough set the standard for donor selection in haploidentical transplantation and has generated international enthusiasm for, and interest in, NK cell alloreactivity as a form of tumour immunotherapy. The impact of this discovery was recognised by the EBMT with the Van Bekkum Award at the 2002 Annual Meeting, and by the American-Italian Cancer Research Foundation’s Annual Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine.

I have authored > 100 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, including J. Immunol, Blood, NEJM, J Exp Med and Science. I am a member of the Editorial Board of Haematologica and serve as reviewer for Blood, Journal of Immunology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Immunity, Cancer Research, Leukaemia, Experimental Haematology, Nature Medicine, the New England Journal of Medicine. I was nominated as reviewer for the ASH and EBMT annual conferences. I am a member of the scientific advisory board of the American-Italian Cancer Research Foundation and acted as reviewer of NIH grant applications. At present I am Secretary of the EBMT Immunobiology Working Party.
    

As therapy for haematological malignancies, allogeneic haematopoietic transplantation from sibling, unrelated, haploidentical donors or cord blood is still, despite its many successes, associated with variable degrees of conditioning-related toxicity, leukaemia relapse, GvHD, and infections.

To achieve donor/recipient tolerance through donor stem cell engraftment with minimal adverse effects, I envision integration, and translation into clinical applications, of the remarkable advances in diverse areas of the biology of allogeneic haematopoietic transplantation which EBMT members have achieved. These include information on HLA and non-HLA (i.e., cytokine, KIR, etc.) genetic polymorphysms, immune regulation by T- cell and dendritic cell subsets and mesenchymal cells, the effectiveness of alloreactive NK cells, and ways to improve thymocyte development. This will provide the platform for immune therapies against leukaemia and infections. These immunotherapies will derive from engrafted stem cells themselves, e.g., alloreactive NK cells in haploidentical transplantation and ex novo thymocyte development and maturation. Immunotherapies will also derive from transfer of selected donor T-cells devoid of their GvHD potential which are directed against leukaemia antigens and infectious pathogens. The platform will advance the safety and efficacy of immunotherapies across HLA barriers, such as, T-cells against minor antigens, or leukaemic specific antigens, T-cells transduced with leukaemia antigen-specific TcRs, allodepleted T cells against pathogens, like EBV, CMV, Aspergillus.

In coming years, the IWP will strengthen its key role in cooperating to translate basic science into clinical applications by deepening understanding of the immunology of haematopoietic transplantation and integrating immune intervention to improve transplantation outcomes.

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