J. (Hans) Hofland, MD

My research lines have been focused at unravelling key pathophysiological mechanisms for proliferation or hormone secretion in endocrine tumors. During my PhD the emphasis of scientific interests were on the regulation of adrenocortical steroidogenesis in health and disease. This led to the discovery of several auto- and paracrine factors that controlled steroid production and were aberrantly involved in hormone production in adrenal tumors. Also, we were the first to discover inhibin as a dedicated biomarker for adrenocortical cancer. Following a research line within my PhD studies, my postdoctoral Marie-Curie Intra-European fellowship at the University of Birmingham further studied the role of alternative androgen production on the evolution of prostate cancer. Currently, we are investigated the steroid metabolome at different stages of prostate cancer to map effects of residual androgens after castration on cancer growth.
In the last 3 years my research has concentrated on biomarkers and theranostics in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Besides involvement in several clinical trials of radionuclide therapy, my goal is to study NET biology using a bedside to bench and back again approach. This translational model in combination with Our unique NET and PRRT biobanks are utilized to more accurately study tumor biology and response to radionuclide therapy.

Endocrine Oncology, Neuroendocrine tumors, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, steroid hormones