Henri H. Versteeg

My main interest is the interplay between tumor cells and blood coagulation. One of the research themes I focus on is how blood clotting promotes tumor growth and cancer metastasis. Specifically, my research team investigates how blood clotting proteins such as tissue factor, factor VII, factor X and thrombin activate receptors on tumor cells to promote cancer progression. In addition, my team has been successful in identifying a role for alternatively spliced clotting factor isoforms in cancer progression. Another research theme is how the presence of a tumor promotes venous thrombosis in cancer patients. My team investigates how blood components and tumor products cooperate to induce a hypercoagulable state in these patients. In recent years I have adopted a strategy that includes studying associations between coagulation parameters and clinical outcome in large collections of tumor specimens and to use these associations to set hypotheses. These hypotheses are tested in cell and in vivo models. Based on this work, I was able to publish in general (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA) and more specialized journals (Blood, Circulation Research). It resulted in an invitation from Physiological Reviews (IF: 30.176) to write an extensive review on hemostasis. It also resulted in invitations to present State-of-the-art lectures at large international meetings such as the Congress of the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, and awards ( Novo Nordisk Hemostasis Award, ATVB New Investigator Award, Marie Parijs Award for translational research.