Frank Redegeld

Frank Redegeld is Associate Professor at the Division of Pharmacology at UIPS, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University. His current research interests involve the molecular mechanisms of cellular activation in chronic inflammatory diseases with a strong focus on mast cells. He studied Pharmacochemistry at the Free University, Amsterdam. He obtained his PhD at the Department of Pharmacology, Fac. Pharmacy, Utrecht University (1989). He received a Fogarty Fellowship to work as a postdoctoral researcher (1989-1992) at the Laboratory of Immunology, NIAID at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA (PI: M.V. Sitkovsky). As a recipient of a KNAW Fellowship (1992-1997) he returned to the Utrecht University (Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. Pharmacy, Utrecht University). In 1997 he became an assistant professor and in 2002 associate professor at the same department. In 2012, he spent a 6 month sabbatical period as Visiting Scientist at the Molecular Immunology Section (PI: Juan Rivera), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, USA. He is an elected member of the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum (CIA), Council Member of the European Mast Cell and Basophil Research Network (EMBRN), Member of the EAACI AllergoOncology Task Force, mentor in the EAACI Mentorship programme, Editor of the European Journal of Pharmacology (as of Jan 1, 2017: Editor-in Chief).

Research

Frank’s research is focused on activation of immune cells in chronic inflammatory diseases. The focus is on a) the molecular mechanisms of activation of -in particular- mast cells; b) effect of environmental factors (e.g. cigarette smoke, exogenous and endogenous food compounds) on shaping the immune response and c) discovery of novel biomarkers to monitor disease activity and response to treatment. In particular, the involvement of mast cells in initiation and perpetuation of inflammation is in the focus of our research. In previous years, we have unraveled a novel pathway of antigen-specific activation of mast cells via immunoglobulin free light chains and we have subsequently shown this pathway may be involved in preclinical models for non-atopic diseases. In collaboration with numerous national and international clinical groups with have investigated their role in airway diseases (rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, asthma, COPD, IPF and HP), food allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, IBD, and cancer. Current projects relate to the immunomodulatory role of exosomes isolated from human milk (joint project with Marca Wauben, Fac. Veterinary Medicine), mast cells in brain disorders (collaboration Erik Hendriksen/Ronald Oosting), mast cell-tumor cell interactions (PhD project Yingxin Yu), and effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid on blood cancer (collaboration Esmaeil Mortaz, Tehran).

More information can be found o his staff page