Nathalie Cools, founder and CEO of Anicells, currently holds a 60% professorship at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Antwerp. She also serves as the Senior Lead Scientist of the Immune Regulation and Tolerance-inducing Strategies (IRiS) research group. Our research at IRiS focuses on the immunobiology of human dendritic cells, with an emphasis on autoimmunity and the modulation of these cells for therapeutic use. In our groundbreaking work on multiple sclerosis (MS), a prevalent neurological disease in Europe, we have identified 'hyper-activated' dendritic cells in MS patients, leading to myelin damage.
Our innovative approach involves generating vitamin D-influenced dendritic cells in the laboratory, resulting in tolerance-inducing dendritic cells (tolDC). These tolDCs have demonstrated the ability to retrain the immune system, preventing reactions against myelin. With this discovery, we have initiated a new tolDC pathway in a phase I clinical study for MS patients, with approval from the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) in Belgium for a dose-escalation clinical trial of a clinically graded vitamin D3-treated tolDC product.
My dedication to innovation extends beyond academia, as I am also the founder and CEO of Anicells. At Anicells, we aim to accelerate the process of cell therapy products, providing support services for clinical development and access to GMP-compliant manufacturing infrastructure. With a strong background in immunology, cellular biology, and flow cytometry, my research journey has resulted in over 60 scientific publications, focusing on autoimmune diseases and experimental human vaccination studies.
