dr. K. Broersen | People Pages: Find employees & contact details

I am working in the Applied Stem Cell Technologies group as an associate professor where I head a subgroup of researchers interested in the biochemical and cell biological aspects of the brain. I was trained as a biochemist and obtained my PhD in food chemistry from Wageningen University in The Netherlands. After this I moved to the Medical Research Council - Laboratory of Molecular Biology to work for two years as a postdoc with Bazbek Davletov and Michel Goedert on the aggregation of alpha-synuclein, a protein involved in Parkinson's disease, as a function of a number of membrane-enriched fatty acids. I then worked for three and a half years, first as a postdoc, later as an assistant professor, in the Switch Laboratory, headed by Frederic Rousseau and Joost Schymkowitz, at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). Since 2011 I worked in the Nanobiophysics Group at the Science and Technology faculty at the University of Twente. This group was first headed by Vinod Subramaniam and since 2013 by Mireille Claessens. Since 2019 I am a member of the Applied Stem Cell Technologies group headed by Robert Passier.

Organisations

Together with my team I am interested in studying the fundamental biochemistry of cell to cell signaling to, from and inside of the brain in relation to neurodegenerative diseases. We aim at seeking answers to our questions using a combined biochemistry, biophysics, and cell biology approach including the use of microfluidic chip systems for cell culture. Typical questions we address in our team include:

- what is the mechanistic background of clinically identified risk factors for Alzheimer's disease?

- how do neighboring cells communicate their disease status to ultimately, in late disease stages, span the entire brain?

- how do cells of the immune system and neurons interact to give rise to neuroinflammation?

- how can we explain the molecular basis of the connection between neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration?

- how does the microbiome communicate with the brain?

We are embedded in the faculty of Science and Technology in the Applied Stem Cell Technologies group.

Our research is financed by ZonMw (Memorabel - Deltaplan Dementie), Alzheimer Nederland, Fulbright, NWO Zwaartekracht (organ-on-chip initiative - in collaboration with Christine Mummery and Albert van de Berg), SFI Career Development Award Programme (in collaboration with Damien Thompson).

Publications

2023

The TNFR1 antagonist Atrosimab reduces neuronal loss, glial activation and memory deficits in an acute mouse model of neurodegeneration, Article 10622. Ortí-Casañ, N., Boerema, A. S., Köpke, K., Ebskamp, A., Keijser, J., Zhang, Y., Chen, T., Dolga, A. M., Broersen, K., Fischer, R., Pfizenmaier, K., Kontermann, R. E. & Eisel, U. L. M.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36846-2Robust Tissue Fabrication for Long-Term Culture of iPSC-Derived Brain Organoids for Aging Research, Article e64586. Koch, L. S., Buentello, D. C. & Broersen, K.https://doi.org/10.3791/64586

2022

Alzheimer’s Disease: Treatment Strategies and Their Limitations, Article 13954. Passeri, E., Elkhoury, K., Morsink, M., Broersen, K., Linder, M., Tamayol, A., Malaplate, C., Yen, F. T. & Arab-Tehrany, E.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232213954Engineering a multiplexed Blood-Brain Barrier-on-a-chip. University of Twente. Zakharova, M.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036554299Use of standard U-bottom and V-bottom well plates to generate neuroepithelial embryoid bodies, Article e0262062. Buentello, D. C., Koch, L. S., Trujillo-De Santiago, G., Alvarez, M. M. & Broersen, K.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262062Engineering Organoids for in vitro Modeling of Phenylketonuria, Article 787242. Borges, A. C., Broersen, K., Leandro, P. & Fernandes, T. G.https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2021.787242

2021

Transwell-Integrated 2 µm Thick Transparent Polydimethylsiloxane Membranes with Controlled Pore Sizes and Distribution to Model the Blood-Brain Barrier, Article 2100138. Zakharova, M., Tibbe, M. P., Koch, L. S., Le-The, H., Leferink, A. M., van den Berg, A., van der Meer, A. D., Broersen, K. & Segerink, L. I.https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202100138A review of oxidative stress products and related genes in early alzheimer's disease, 977-1001. Cioffi, F., Adam, R. H. I., Bansal, R. & Broersen, K.https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-210497Plant isoquinoline alkaloids as potential neurodrugs: A comparative study of the effects of benzo[c]phenanthridine and berberine-based compounds on β-amyloid aggregation, Article 109300. Marasco, D., Vicidomini, C., Krupa, P., Cioffi, F., Huy, P. D. Q., Li, M. S., Florio, D., Broersen, K., De Pandis, M. F. & Roviello, G. N.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109300Cross-seeding of alpha-synuclein aggregation by amyloid fibrils of food proteins, Article 100358. Vaneyck, J., Segers-Nolten, I., Broersen, K. & Claessens, M. M. A. E.https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBC.2021.100358

2020

Multiplexed blood-brain barrier organ-on-chip, 3132-3143. Zakharova, M., Palma do Carmo, M. A., van der Helm, M. W., Le-The, H., de Graaf, M. N. S., Orlova, V., van den Berg, A., van der Meer, A. D., Broersen, K. & Segerink, L. I.https://doi.org/10.1039/d0lc00399aMilk processing affects structure, bioavailability and immunogenicity of β-lactoglobulin, Article 874. Broersen, K.https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070874Detection of amyloid aggregation in living systemsIn Protein Homeostasis Diseases: Mechanisms and Novel Therapies (pp. 127-152). Elsevier. Broersen, K.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819132-3.00007-5

2019

Molecular Mechanisms and Genetics of Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer's Disease, 981-1017. Cioffi, F., Adam, R. H. I. & Broersen, K.https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-190863Exposure of a cryptic Hsp70 binding site determines the cytotoxicity of the ALS-associated SOD1-mutant A4V, 443-457. Claes, F., Rudyak, S., Laird, A. S., Louros, N., Beerten, J., Debulpaep, M., Michiels, E., van der Kant, R., Van Durme, J., De Baets, G., Houben, B., Ramakers, M., Yuan, K., Gwee, S. S. L., Hernandez, S., Broersen, K., Oliveberg, M., Moahamed, B., Kirstein, J., … Schymkowitz, J.https://doi.org/10.1093/protein/gzaa008Investigation into the molecular complexity of Alzheimer's disease: an amyloid-ß centered approach. University of Twente. Cioffi, F.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036548410

Research profiles

- Biochemistry for first year BSc Biomedical Technology

- Biochemistry for third year BSc Chemical Technology

- Biochemistry and Chemistry of the Biological Cell for ATLAS students

- Module coordinator of Molecular Construction of the Human Body

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2023/2024

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2022/2023

In the press

RTV Oost:

1. Interview, 20 September 2016 (with a video of our work in Dutch): www.rtvoost.nl/pl.aspx?nid=252520

2. Newsitem on our ZonMw grant, 07 October 2014: http://www.rtvoost.nl/tag/alzheimer?nid=200263

UT Nieuws:

3. 7 October 2014: http://www.utnieuws.nl/nieuws/60561/Negen_ton_naar_onderzoek_Alzheimer

4. 5 February 2016: http://www.utnieuws.nl/nieuws/62538/Kerensa_Broersen_loopt_halve_marathon_voor_goed_doel

5. 20 September 2016: http://www.utnieuws.nl/nieuws/63239/Niemand_wil_zijn_of_haar_herinneringen_kwijtraken

Enschede FM:

6. Radio interview (7 October 2014): http://www.tvenschedefm.nl/alzheimer-onderzoek-ut-krijgt-bijna-900-000-euro/nieuws/item?151312

ZONMW:

7. Het gezicht van dementie onderzoek (September 2017): https://publicaties.zonmw.nl/het-gezicht-van-dementieonderzoek/interview-kerensa-broersen/

BNR Nieuwsradio:

8. Interview with Roelof Hemmen (24 July 2017): https://www.bnr.nl/nieuws/wetenschap/10326834/twentse-alzheimer-onderzoekster-naar-amerika

News on utwente.nl

Election for Viva400: https://www.utwente.nl/nieuws/!/2017/9/189484/vijf-wetenschappers-van-ut-in-viva400

Fulbright fellowship: https://www.utwente.nl/en/news/!/2017/7/160713/fulbright-scholarship-for-kerensa-broersen

Address

University of Twente

Horst Complex (building no. 20), room ZH111
De Horst 2
7522 LW Enschede
Netherlands

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