I joined the Princess Máxima Center as a basic researcher and pediatrician in training in June 2018. My primary research interest lies in understanding the molecular biology of pediatric soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and to use that knowledge to develop new treatment options for patients suffering from these tumors. To this end, I study establishment procedures for novel preclinical models of pediatrist STS (i.e., tumor organoid models) as well as bulk and single-cell genomics of these tumors. I am furthermore member of the molecular tumor board of the Dutch iTHER as well as the German INFORM pediatric precision medicine trial.
My hobbies include sports (running, bootcamp) and gaming (board games, tabletop role-playing games, video games). I am the proud father of a boy and a girl.
Publications
Below is a list of our key publications. To see all publications affiliated to our group, click here.
* Equal contribution, # Corresponding author
Metabolic profiling of patient-derived organoids reveals nucleotide synthesis as a metabolic vulnerability in malignant rhabdoid tumors
Kes, M.M.G., Morales-Rodriguez, F., Zaal, E.A., de Souza, T., Proost, N., van de Ven, M., van den Heuvel-Eibrink, M.M., Jansen, J.W.A., Berkers, C.A., Drost, J.#
Cell Rep Med. 2025 Jan 21;6(1):101878
Single-cell transcriptomics reveals immune suppression and cell states predictive of patient outcomes in rhabdomyosarcoma
DeMartino, J.*, Meister, M.T.*, Visser, L.L.*, Brok, M., Groot Koerkamp, M.J.A., Wezenaar, A.K.L., Hiemcke-Jiwa, L.S., de Souza, T., Merks, J.H.M., Rios, A.C., Holstege, F.C.P., Margaritis, T.#, Drost, J.#
Nat Commun. 2023 May 27;14(1):3074
Mesenchymal tumor organoid models recapitulate rhabdomyosarcoma subtypes.
Meister, M.T., Groot Koerkamp, M.J.A., de Souza, T., Breunis, W.B., Frazer-Mendelewska, E., Brok, M., DeMartino, J., Manders, F., Calandrini, C., Kerstens, H.H.D., Janse, A., Dolman, M.E.M., Eising, S., Langenberg, K.P.S., van Tuil, M., Knops, R.R.G., van Scheltinga, S.T., Hiemcke-Jiwa, L.S., Flucke, U., Merks, J.H.M., van Noesel, M.M., Tops, B.B.J., Hehir-Kwa, J.Y., Kemmeren, P., Molenaar, J.J., van de Wetering, M., van Boxtel, R., Drost, J.#, Holstege, F.C.P#.
EMBO Molecular Medicine 2022 Aug 2; e16001
Organoid-based drug screening reveals neddylation as therapeutic target for malignant rhabdoid tumors.
Calandrini, C., van Hooff, S.R., Paassen, I., Ayyildiz, D., Derakhshan, S., Dolman, M.E.M., Langenberg, K.P.S., van de Ven, M., de Heus, C., Liv, N., Kool, M., de Krijger, R.R., Tytgat, G.A.M., van den Heuvel-Eibrink, M.M., Molenaar, J.J., Drost, J.#
Cell Reports 2021 Aug 24; 36(8):109568.
Single cell derived mRNA signals across human kidney tumors.
Young, M.D.*, Mitchell, T.J.*, Custers, L.*, Margaritis, T., Morales-Rodriguez, F., Kwakwa, K., Khabirova, E., Kildisiute, G., Oliver, T.R.W., de Krijger, R.R., van den Heuvel-Eibrink, M.M., Comitani, F., Piapi, A., Bugallo-Blanco, E., Thevanesan, C., Burke, C., Prigmore, E., Ambridge, K., Roberts, K., Vieira Braga, F.A., Coorens, T.H.H., Del Valle, I., Wilbrey-Clark, A., Mamanova, L., Stewart, G.D., Gnanapragasam, V.J., Rampling, D., Sebire, N., Coleman, N., Hook, L., Warren, A., Haniffa, M., Kool, M., Pfister, S.M., Achermann, J.C., He, X., Barker, R.A., Shlien, A., Bayraktar, O.A, Teichmann, S., Holstege, F.C., Meyer, K.B., Drost, J.#, Straathof, K.#, Behjati, S.#
Nature Communications 2021 Jun 23; 12(1):3896.
Somatic mutations and single-cell transcriptomes reveal the root of malignant rhabdoid tumours.
Custers, L.*, Khabirova, E.*, Coorens, T.H.H.*, Oliver, T.R.W., Calandrini, C., Young, M.D., Vieira Braga, F.A., Ellis, P., Mamanova, L., Segers, H., Maat, A., Kool, M., Hoving, E.W., van den Heuvel-Eibrink, M.M., Nicholson, J., Straathof, K., Hook, L., de Krijger, R.R., Trayers, C., Allinson, K., Behjati, S.#, Drost, J.#.
Nature Communications 2021 Mar 3; 12(1):1407.
An organoid biobank for childhood kidney cancers that captures disease and tissue heterogeneity.
Calandrini, C.*, Schutgens, F.*, Oka, R., Margaritis, T., Candelli, T., Mathijsen, L., Ammerlaan, C., van Ineveld, R.L., Derakhshan, S., de Haan, S., Dolman, E., Lijnzaad, P., Custers, L., Begthel, H., Kerstens, H.H.D., Rookmaker, M., Verhaar, M., Tytgat, G.A.M., Kemmeren, P., de Krijger, R.R., Al-Saadi, R., Pritchard-Jones, K., Kool, M., Rios, A., van den Heuvel-Eibrink, M.M., Molenaar, J., van Boxtel, R., Holstege, F.C.P., Clevers, H., Drost, J.#.
Nature Communications 2020;11(1):1310.
Use of CRISPR-modified human stem cell organoids to study the origin of mutational signatures in cancer.
Drost, J.*, van Boxtel, R.*, Blokzijl, F., Mizutani, T., Sasaki, N., Sasselli, V., de Ligt, J., Behjati, S., Grolleman, J.E., van Wezel, T., Nik-Zainal, S., Kuiper, R.P., Cuppen, E., Clevers, H.
Science 2017 Oct 13, 358 (6360): 234 – 238.
Sequential cancer mutations in cultured human intestinal stem cells.
Drost, J., van Jaarsveld, R.H., Ponsioen, B., Zimberlin, C., van Boxtel, R., Buijs, A., Sachs, N., Overmeer, R.M., Offerhaus, G.J., Begthel, H. Korving, J., van de Wetering, M., Schwank, G. Logtenberg, M., Cuppen, E., Snippert, H.J., Medema, J.P., Kops, G. J. P. L., Clevers, H.
Nature 2015 May 7, 521 (7550), 43 – 47.