Dr. Esther Nolte-鈥榯 Hoen was appointed Associate Professor in 2021. Her research focuses on the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in communication between cells at steady state and during disease (infection with pathogens, cancer). Throughout her career she has put strong focus on developing novel technologies for isolation, characterization and functional analysis of extracellular vesicle purification. Her current research lines focus on RNA as an important player in the biological effects that extracellular vesicles produce, and on the role of extracellular vesicles in host-pathogen interactions. Nolte-'t Hoen was awarded a European Research Council Starting Grant (1500 k鈧�) in 2013 to explore parallel mechanisms underlying the formation of viruses and extracellular vesicles. In 2022 she received an NWO-VICI grant to explore how EVs play a role in virus spreading and antiviral immune responses during picornavirus infections. She is actively involved in developing the field of EV research by organizing meetings for the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles, she is co-founder and current president of the Netherlands Society for Extracellular Vesicles, organizes the EMBL hands-on training course on EV, has coordinated position papers, and is deputy editor for the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles.
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are nanosized carriers of information produced by cells in all kingdoms of life. During health and (infectious) diseases, these EVs are part of the interactome of human and animal cells, as well as microbes. We have longstanding experience in EV isolation/characterization and fundamental EV biology and apply this knowledge to define the role of EVs in host-pathogen communication and immune defense. We investigate how picornaviruses and flaviviruses use host EVs to protect them from immune defense mechanisms and support their spreading. We also explore how virus-induced and bacterial EVs may help these pathogens to cross gastrointestinal and vascular barriers. Hereto we use high-resolution microscopic and flow cytometric technologies, in-depth proteomic and transcriptomic analyses, and advanced cell culture models. EVs need a place in the design of next-generation antiviral and antibacterial strategies, and we provide fundamental knowledge to guide this development.
