prof. dr. H. Meurs

 Degrees   

1974     BSc Chemistry, University of Groningen

1978:    MSc Biochemistry, University of Groningen.

1984:    PhD. Thesis: 'The beta-adrenergic system and airway reactivity: investigations in vivo and in vitro'.

1979-1987:     Junior Research Scientist, UMCG, Department of Allergology

1987-1994:     Assistant Professor, University of Groningen, Pharmacy, Department of Molecular Pharmacology

1994-2004:     Associate Professor University of Groningen, Pharmacy, Department of Molecular Pharmacology

2004-present   Professor of Immunopharmacology, University of Groningen, Pharmacy, Department of Molecular Pharmacology

2005-present   Head of Department Molecular Pharmacology

Research interests

Immunological regulation of airway function, in particular with regard to the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory obstructive airway diseases like asthma and COPD. Development of new pharmacological approaches for drug treatment.

Scientific activities

Scientific Board member Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD

Board member Dutch Pharmacological Society

Member Scientific Advisory Board Netherlands Lung Foundation

Program Committee Dutch Medicines Days Netherlands Federation for Innovative Drug Research

Member Planning Committee of the Respiratory, Structure and Function Assembly of the American Thoracic Society

Editorial Board American Journal of Physiology

Editorial Board Respiratory Research

Editorial Board Pulmonary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Member Faculty of 1000, Respiratory Physiology section

Reviewer for numerous scientific journals in Pharmacology and Respiratory Medicine

Reviewer for funding agencies, including Netherlands Lung Foundation, Dutch Scientific Organization (NWO), Wellcome Trust, UK, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK

(Co-)organizer of more than 15 international meetings and congresses

More than 100 invited lectures and invited chairs at conferences and universities

More than 200 publications in refereed international journals and books, h-factor 41 (Web of Science), 47 (Google Scholar)

Awards

Honorary Fellow of the European Respiratory Society (FERS)

Recipient of the Joseph R. Rodarte Award 2015 of the American Thoracic Society

Selected key publications in international refereed journals

(see Google Scholar H. Meurs for full list: http://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=nl&user=MRksjOUAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&gmla=AJsN-F5O9eEhxSeDIbxpOhvOKfsoJ8IFiu7X-baOhFUQJa0kigRR2vfqVKG8JGUVmwYuw5hIfqQs-d9x6b35HKo5CAwL_-wlkHMplA_72dmg7Bq3GTViSxLGfB7M-QNK797bIJx0sMgx )

Meurs H., McKay S., Maarsingh, H., Hamer, M.A.M., Macic, L., Molendijk, N., Zaagsma, J. Increased arginase activity underlies allergen-induced deficiency of cNOS-derived nitric oxide and airway hyperreactivity. Br. J. Pharmacol. 136, 2002, 391-398.

Meurs, H., Maarsingh, H., Zaagsma, J. Arginase and asthma: novel insights into nitric oxide homeostasis and airway hyperresponsiveness. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 24, 2003, 450-455.

Gosens, R., Nelemans, S.A., Grootte-Bromhaar, M.M., McKay, S., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H. Muscarinic M3 receptors mediate cholinergic synergism of mitogenesis in airway smooth muscle. Am. J. Respir. Cell and Mol. Biol. 28, 2003, 257-262.

Gosens, R., Bos, I., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H. Protective effects of tiotropium bromide in the progression of airway smooth muscle remodeling. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 171, 2005, 1096-1102

Oostendorp, J., Postma, D.S., Volders, H., Jongepier, H., Kauffman, H.F., Boezen, M., Meyers, D.A., Bleecker, E.R., Nelemans, S.A., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H. Differential desensitization of homozygous haplotypes of the b2-adrenergic receptor in lymphocytes. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 172, 2005, 322-328.

Meurs, H., Santing, R.E., Remie, R., Van der Mark, T.W., Westerhof, F.J., Zuidhof, A.B., Bos, I.S.T., Zaagsma, J. A guinea pig model of acute and chronic asthma using permanently instrumented and unrestrained animals. Nat. Protoc. 1, 2006, 840-847.

Gosens, R.,  Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H., Halayko, A.J. Muscarinic receptor signaling in the pathophysiology of asthma and COPD. Repir. Res. 7, 2006, 73.

Schaafsma, D., McNeill, K.D., Stelmack, G.L., Gosens, R., Baarsma, H.A., Frohwerk, E., Dekkers, B.G.J., Penninks, J.M., Ens, K.M., Nelemans, S.A., Zaagsma, J., Halayko, A.J. , Meurs, H. Insulin increases the expression of contractile phenotypic markers in airway smooth muscle. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 293, 2007, C429-439.

Maarsingh, H., Zuidhof, A.B., Bos, I.S., van Duin, M., Bouche,r J.L., Zaagsma, J., Meurs. H. Arginase inhibition protects against allergic airway obstruction, hyperresponsiveness & inflammation. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2008, 178, 565-573.

Meurs H, Gosens R, Zaagsma J. Airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma: lessons from in vitro model systems and animal models. Eur Respir J. 32, 2008, 487-502.

Dekkers, B.G.J., Schaafsma D., Tran, T., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H. Insulin-induced laminin expression promotes a hypercontractile airway smooth muscle phenotype. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 41, 2009, 494-504.

Maarsingh, H., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H. Arginase: a key enzyme in the pathophysiology of allergic asthma opening novel therapeutic perspectives. Br. J. Pharmacol. 158, 2009, 652-664.

Dekkers, B.G.J., Bos, I.S.T., Gosens, R., Halayko, A.J., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H.  The integrin-blocking peptide RGDS inhibits airway smooth muscle remodeling in a guinea pig model of allergic asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 181, 2010, 556-565.

Vonk, J.M., Postma, D.S., Maarsingh, H., Bruinenberg, M., Koppelman, G.H., Meurs, H. Arginase 1 and 2 variations associate with asthma, asthma severity and beta-2 agonist and steroid response. Pharmacogenet. Genomics 20, 2010, 179-186.

Pera, T., Zuidhof, A.B., Valadas, J., Smit, M., Schoemaker, R.G., Gosens, R., Maarsingh, H., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H. Tiotropium inhibits pulmonary inflammation and remodelling in a guinea pig model of COPD. Eur. Respir. J. 38, 2011, 789-796.

Dekkers, B.G., Bos, I.S., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H. Functional consequences of human airway smooth muscle phenotype plasticity. Br. J. Pharmacol. 166, 2012, 359-367.

Meurs, H., Oenema, T.A., Kistemaker, L.E.M., Gosens R. A new perspective on muscarinic receptor antagonism in obstructive airways diseases. Curr. Opin. Pharmacol. 13, 2013, 316-323.

Smit, M., Zuidhof, A.B., Bos, I.S.T., Maarsingh, H., Gosens, R., Zaagsma, J., Meurs, H. Bronchoprotection by olodaterol is synergistically enhanced by tiotropium in a guinea pig model of allergic asthma. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 348, 2014, 303-310.

Wright, D.B., Meurs, H.,  Dekkers, B.G. J. Integrins: therapeutic targets in airway hyperresponsiveness and remodelling? Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 35, 2014, 567-574.

Kistemaker, L.E.M, Van Os, R.P., Dethmers-Ausema, A., Bos, I.S.T., Hylkema, M.N., Van den Berge, M., Hiemstra, P.S., Wess, J., Meurs, H., Kerstjens, H.A.M., Gosens, R. Muscarinic M3 receptors on structural cells regulate cigarette smoke-induced neutrophilic airway inflammation in mice. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 308, 2015, L96-L103.