Menu

Latest news & events

Social and economic background influences survival in intensive care: Research with societal impact

Social and economic background influences survival in intensive care: Research with societal impact

18 August 2026

A large-scale study by researchers from Maastricht UMC+ and Amsterdam UMC demonstrates that lower socioeconomic status (SES) of patients admitted to Dutch intensive care units contributes to worse survival.

Read more
Fatma Karapinar appointed as Professor in Medication Safety

Fatma Karapinar appointed as Professor in Medication Safety

12 August 2026

As of 1 June 2026, Dr Fatma Karapinar has been appointed Professor of Medication Safety at Maastricht University.

Read more
More newsMore events
Carim Maastricht
Carim Maastricht

Publications

Section Miranda Nabben Section Vanessa van Empel Section Matthijs Blankesteijn Section Leon de Windt Section Stephane Heymans
  • 2010
    • Schellings, M. W. M., Vanhoutte, D., van Almen, G. C., Swinnen, M., Leenders, J. J. G., Kubben, N., van Leeuwen, R. E. W., Hofstra, L., Heymans, S., & Pinto, Y. M. (2010). Syndecan-1 Amplifies Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiac Fibrosis. Hypertension, 55(2), 249-U87. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.137885
    • Dennert, R. M., van Paassen, P., Schalla, S., Kuznetsova, T., Alzand, B. S. N., Staessen, J. A., Velthuis, S., Crijns, H. J., Tervaert, J. W. C., & Heymans, S. (2010). Cardiac Involvement in Churg-Strauss Syndrome. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 62(2), 627-634. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.27263
    • van Rooij, E., Fielitz, J., Sutherland, L. B., Thijssen, V. L., Crijns, H. J., Dimaio, M. J., Shelton, J., De Windt, L. J., Hill, J. A., & Olson, E. N. (2010). Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 and Class II Histone Deacetylases Control a Gender-Specific Pathway of Cardioprotection Mediated by the Estrogen Receptor. Circulation Research, 106(1), 155-U315. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.109.207084
    • Lenaers, E., Feyter, H. M., Hoeks, J., Schrauwen, P., Schaart, G., Nabben, M., Nicolay, K., Prompers, J. J., & Hesselink, M. K. (2010). Adaptations in mitochondrial function parallel, but fail to rescue, the transition to severe hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia: a study in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.Obesity, 18(6), 1100-1107. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2009.372
    • PROTECT Steering Committee, & Heymans, S. (2010). Design and Rationale of the PROTECT Study: A Placebo-controlled Randomized Study of the Selective A1 Adenosine Receptor Antagonist Rolofylline for Patients Hospitalized With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure and Volume Overload to Assess Treatment Effect on Congestion and Renal Function. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 16(1), 25-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2009.10.025
    • el Azzouzi, H., van Oort, R. J., van der Nagel, R., Sluiter, W., Bergmann, M. W., & De Windt, L. J. (2010). MEF2 transcriptional activity maintains mitochondrial adaptation in cardiac pressure overload. European journal of heart failure, 12(1), 4-12. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjhf/hfp165
    • van den Borne, S. W. M., Diez, J., Blankesteijn, W. M., Verjans, J., Hofstra, L., & Narula, J. (2010). Myocardial remodeling after infarction: the role of myofibroblasts. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 7(1), 30-37. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2009.199
    • Dennert, R., Velthuis, S., Schalla, S., Eurlings, L. W., van Suylen, R.-J., van Paassen, P., Tervaert, J. W. C., Wolffs, P., Goossens, V. J., Bruggeman, C., Waltenberger, J., Crijns, H. J., & Heymans, S. (2010). Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathy and endomyocardial biopsy-proven high PVB19 viral load. Antiviral Therapy, 15(2), 193-201. https://doi.org/10.3851/IMP1516
    • Dennert, R., Velthuis, S., Westermann, D., Donker, D. W., Schalla, S., van Suylen, R.-J., & Heymans, S. (2010). Parvovirus-B19-associated fulminant myocarditis successfully treated with immunosuppressive and antiviral therapy. Antiviral Therapy, 15(4), 681-685. https://doi.org/10.3851/IMP1563
  • 2009
    • van den Borne, S. W. M., van de Schans, V. A. M., Strzelecka, A. E., Vervoort-Peters, H. T. M., Lijnen, P. M., Cleutjens, J. P. M., Smits, J. F. M., Daemen, M. J. A. P., Janssen, B. J. A., & Blankesteijn, W. M. (2009). Mouse strain determines the outcome of wound healing after myocardial infarction. Cardiovascular Research, 84(2), 273-82. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvp207
    • Schellings, M. W. M., Vanhoutte, D., Swinnen, M., Cleutjens, J. P., Debets, J., van Leeuwen, R. E. W., d'Hooge, J., Van de Werf, F., Carmeliet, P., Pinto, Y. M., Sage, E. H., & Heymans, S. (2009). Absence of SPARC results in increased cardiac rupture and dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 206(1), 113-23. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20081244
  • 2008
    • van den Borne, S. W. M., Cleutjens, J. P. M., Hanemaaijer, R., Creemers, E. E., Smits, J. F. M., Daemen, M. J. A. P., & Blankesteijn, W. M. (2008). Increased matrix metalloproteinase-8 and -9 activity in patients with infarct rupture after myocardial infarction. Cardiovascular Pathology, 18(1), 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpath.2007.12.012
    • Hoeks, J., Briede, J. J., de Vogel, J., Schaart, G., Nabben, M., Kornips, E., Hesselink, M. K., & Schrauwen, P. (2008). Mitochondrial function, content and ROS production in rat skeletal muscle: effect of high-fat feeding. Febs Letters, 582(4), 510-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2008.01.013
    • Nabben, M., Hoeks, J., Briede, J. J., Glatz, J. F., Kornips, E., Hesselink, M. K., & Schrauwen, P. (2008). The effect of UCP3 overexpression on mitochondrial ROS production in skeletal muscle of young versus aged mice. Febs Letters, 582(30), 4147-4152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2008.11.016
  • 2007
    • van de Schans, V. A. M., van den Borne, S. W. M., Strzelecka, A. E., Janssen, B. J., van der Velden, J. L., Langen, R. C., Wynshaw Boris, A., Smits, J. F., & Blankesteijn, W. M. (2007). Interruption of Wnt Signaling Attenuates the Onset of Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy. Hypertension, 49(3), 473-480. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.HYP.0000255946.55091.24
  • 2006
    • Jones, E. A. V., le Noble, F., & Eichmann, A. (2006). What determines blood vessel structure? Genetic prespecification vs. hemodynamics. Physiology, 21, 388-95. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00020.2006
    • van Haaften, R. I. M., Schroen, B. L., Janssen, B. J., van Erk, A. A., Debets, J. J., Smeets, H. J., Smits, J. F., van den Wijngaard, A., Pinto, Y. M., & Evelo, C. T. (2006). Biologically relevant effects of mRNA amplification on gene expression profiles. BMC Bioinformatics, 7, 200. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2105-7-200
    • van Empel, V. P. M., Bertrand, A. T., van Oort, R. J., van der Nagel, R., Engelen, M. P. K. J., van Rijen, H. V., Doevendans, P. A. F. M., Crijns, H. J. G. M., Ackerman, S. L., Sluiter, W., & de Windt, L. J. (2006). EUK-8, a superoxide dismutase and catalase mimetic, reduces cardiac oxidative stress and ameliorates pressure overload-induced heart failure in the harlequin mouse mutant. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 48(4), 824-832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2006.02.075
  • 2004
    • Sharma, U. C., Pokharel, S., van Brakel, T. J., van Berlo, J. H., Cleutjens, J. P. M., Schroen, B., André, S., Crijns, H. J. G. M., Gabius, H.-J., Maessen, J., & Pinto, Y. M. (2004). Galectin-3 marks activated macrophages in failure-prone hypertrophied hearts and contributes to cardiac dysfunction. Circulation, 110(19), 3121-8. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.0000147181.65298.4D
    • Schroen, B., Heymans, S., Sharma, U., Blankesteijn, W. M., Pokharel, S., Cleutjens, J. P. M., Porter, J. G., Evelo, C. T. A., Duisters, R., van Leeuwen, R. E. W., Janssen, B. J. A., Debets, J. J. M., Smits, J. F. M., Daemen, M. J. A. P., Crijns, H. J. G. M., Bornstein, P., & Pinto, Y. M. (2004). Thrombospondin-2 is essential for myocardial matrix integrity: increased expression identifies failure-prone cardiac hypertrophy. Circulation Research, 95(5), 515-522. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.RES.0000141019.20332.3e
    • De Celle, T., Cleutjens, J. P., Blankesteijn, W. M., Debets, J. J., Smits, J. F., & Janssen, B. J. (2004). Long-term structural and functional consequences of cardiac ischaemia-reperfusion injury in vivo in mice. Experimental Physiology, 89(5), 605-15. https://doi.org/10.1113/expphysiol.2004.027649
    • Beguin, S., Keularts, I., Al Dieri, R., Bellucci, S., Caen, J., & Hemker, H. C. (2004). Fibrin polymerization is crucial for thrombin generation in platelet-rich plasma in a VWF-GPlb-dependent process, defective in Bernhard-Soulier syndrome. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 2(1), 170-176. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1538-7836.2004.00558.x
  • 2001
    • Blankesteijn, W. M., Creemers, E., Lutgens, E., Cleutjens, J. P., Daemen, M. J., & Smits, J. F. (2001). Dynamics of cardiac wound healing following myocardial infarction: observations in genetically altered mice. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 173(1), 75-82. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-201X.2001.00887.x
    • van Gijn, M. E., Snel, F., Cleutjens, J. P., Smits, J. F., & Blankesteijn, W. M. (2001). Overexpression of components of the Frizzled-Dishevelled cascade results in apoptotic cell death, mediated by beta-catenin. Experimental Cell Research, 265(1), 46-53. https://doi.org/10.1006/excr.2001.5174
    • Keularts, I. M. L. W., Zivelin, A., Seligsohn, U., Hemker, H. C., & Béguin, S. (2001). The role of factor XI in thrombin generation induced by low concentrations of tissue factor.Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 85, 1060-1065. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1615964
  • 2000
    • Creemers, E., Cleutjens, J., Smits, J., Heymans, S., Moons, L., Collen, D., Daemen, M., & Carmeliet, P. (2000). Disruption of the plasminogen gene in mice abolishes wound healing after myocardial infarction. American Journal of Pathology, 156(6), 1865-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9440(10)65060-2
    • Keularts, I. M. L. W., van Gorp Beisser, R. M. A., Feijge, M. A. H., Vuist, M. W. J., & Heemskerk, J. W. M. (2000). alpha2A-Adrenergic receptor stimulation potentiates calcium release in platelets by modulating cAMP levels. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 275(3), 1763-1772. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.275.3.1763
    • Keularts, I. M. L. W., Hamulyak, K., Hemker, H. C., & Béguin, S. (2000). The effect of DDAVP infusion On thrombin generation in platelet-rich plasma of von Willebrand type 1 and in mild haemophilia A patients. Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 84(4). https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1614080
  • 1999
    • Cleutjens, J. P., Blankesteijn, W. M., Daemen, M. J., & Smits, J. F. (1999). The infarcted myocardium: simply dead tissue, or a lively target for therapeutic interventions. Cardiovascular Research, 44(2), 232-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0008-6363(99)00212-6
    • Heymans, S., Luttun, A., Nuyens, D., Theilmeier, G., Creemers, E., Moons, L., Dyspersin, G. D., Cleutjens, J. P., Shipley, M., Angellilo, A., Levi, M., Nübe, O., Baker, A., Keshet, E., Lupu, F., Herbert, J. M., Smits, J. F., Shapiro, S. D., Baes, M., ... Carmeliet, P. (1999). Inhibition of plasminogen activators or matrix metalloproteinases prevents cardiac rupture but impairs therapeutic angiogenesis and causes cardiac failure. Nature Medicine, 5(10), 1135-42. https://doi.org/10.1038/13459
    • Beguin, S., Kumar, R., Keularts, I., Seligsohn, U., Coller, B. S., & Hemker, H. C. (1999). Fibrin-dependent platelet procoagulant activity requires GPIb receptors and von Willebrand factor. Blood, 93(2), 564-570. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.V93.2.564
  • 1998
    • Keularts, I. M. L. W., Beguin, S., de Zwaan, C., & Hemker, H. C. (1998). Treatment with a GPIIb/IIIa antagonist inhibits thrombin generation in platelet rich plasma from patients. Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 80(3), 370-371. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1615213