BIOGRAPHY
Milou started her master’s degree program in Regenerative Medicine, after completing her bachelor’s degree at University of Twente in 2008. During her second year she did a total of four internships at Medisch Spectrum Twente hospital in Enschede, University Medical Center Utrecht, University Medical Center St. Radboud (Nijmegen), and Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, USA). For her master thesis project, “Immuno-protective membrane based scaffolds for extra hepatic islet transplantation”, she collaborated with four different research groups: the Developmental BioEngineering group, Biomaterial Science and Technology group, and BioMedical Photonic Imaging group at University of Twente and the department of Nephrology at Leiden University Medical Center. After finishing her master’s, she started as a PhD student in the Developmental BioEngineering group of Marcel Karperien in 2013.
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH
New islet encapsulation method for ideal mass transport and immunoprotection.
Diabetes Type 1 patients, with an insufficient response to the insulin treatment, are in need for alternative therapies. Although transplantation of islets of Langerhans has proven to be an effective treatment, more than 60% of the islets are lost immediately after transplantation. In addition, the life-long use of immunosuppressive drugs, necessary to decrease the chance of rejection, is associated with numerous complications. Therefore, the goal of this project is to find a new islet encapsulation method to overcome the need for immunosuppressive drugs and to improve islet transplantation for type 1 Diabetes patients.
CONTACT DETAILS
Milou Groot Nibbelink, MSc
Department of Developmental BioEngineering
Building Zuidhorst, Room no: ZH111
Drienerlolaan 5, PO BOX 217
7522NB Enschede, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-(0)53-4894285
E-mail: m.grootnibbelink@utwente.nl