Molecular Haematology

Research focus

The group led by Joost Martens, is studying abnormal proteins called oncoproteins and their role in blood cancer development using various next generation sequencing and proteomics approaches. Understanding the binding regions of these proteins, the complexes in which they reside, the effects on gene activity, and the associated epigenetic features can provide valuable information about the underlying mechanisms of leukemia and potentially lead to the development of targeted therapies or diagnostic tools. The lab closely collaborates with the Hematology department of the RUMC. 

Publications

• HMX3 is a critical vulnerability in MECOM-negative KMT2A::MLLT3 acute myelomonocytic leukemia|Saioa Arza-Apalategi, Branco M.H. Heuts, Saskia M. Bergevoet, Roos Meering, Daan Gilissen, Pascal W.T.C. Jansen, Anja Krippner-Heidenreich, Peter J.M. Valk, Michiel Vermeulen, Olaf Heidenreich, Torsten Haferlach, Joop H. Jansen, Joost H.A. Martens, Bert A. van der Reijden|Leukemia. 2025 Feb;39(2):371-380. More information
• Long-term histone lactylation connects metabolic and epigenetic rewiring in innate immune memory|Athanasios Ziogas, Boris Novakovic, Lorenzo Ventriglia, Noriko Galang, Kim A. Tran, Wenchao Li, Vasiliki Matzaraki, Nienke van Unen, Titus Schlüter, Anaís V. Ferreira, Simona J.C.F.M. Moorlag, Valerie A.C.M. Koeken, Mthabisi Moyo, Xiaolin Li, Marijke P.A. Baltissen, Joost H.A. Martens, Yang Li, Maziar Divangahi, Leo A.B. Joosten, Musa M. Mhlanga, Mihai G. Netea|Cell. 2025 May 29;188(11):2992-3012.e16. More information
• Susceptibility of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia to STAT3 inhibition depends on p53 induction|Luca Gasparoli, Clemence Virely, Alexia Tsakaneli, Noelia Che, Darren Edwards, Jack Bartram, Michael Hubank, Deepali Pal, Olaf Heidenreich, Joost H.A. Martens, Jasper de Boer, Owen Williams|Haematologica. 2024 Apr 1;109(4):1069-1081. doi:10.3324/haematol.2023.283613. More information
• GFI1B and LSD1 repress myeloid traits during megakaryocyte differentiation|Jeron Venhuizen, Maaike G.J.M. van Bergen, Saskia M. Bergevoet, Daan Gilissen, Cornelia G. Spruijt, Laura Wingens, Emile van den Akker, Michiel Vermeulen, Joop H. Jansen, Joost H.A. Martens, Bert A. van der Reijden|Commun Biol. 2024 Mar 28;7(1):374. More information
• Inducible MLL-AF9 Expression Drives an AML Program during Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hematopoietic Differentiation| Branco M. H. Heuts, Saioa Arza-Apalategi, Sinne G. Alkema, Esther Tijchon, Laura Jussen, Saskia M. Bergevoet, Bert A. van der Reijden and Joost H. A. Martens|Cells. 2023 Apr 20;12(8):1195. More information
• High expression of an intragenic long noncoding RNA misinterpreted as high FTO oncogene expression in NPM1 mutant acute myeloid leukemia|Saioa Arza-Apalategi, Joop H. Jansen, Joost H. A. Martens, Branco M. H. Heuts, Meike T. M. Dooijes, Daan Gilissen and Bert A. van der Reijden|Leukemia. 2023 Apr;37(4):901-904. More information
• Identification of transcription factors dictating blood cell development using a bidirectional transcription network-based computational framework|Branco M.H. Heuts, Saioa Arza-Apalategi, Siebren Frölich, Saskia M. Bergevoet, S.N. van den Oever, S.J. van Heeringen, Bert A. van der Reijden, Joost H.A. Martens|Sci Rep. 2022 Nov 4;12(1):18656. More information

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