Klaas Poelstra

Prof. Klaas Poelstra is a Professor in the Department of Nanomedicine & Drug Targeting at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Science and Engineering. His research focuses on drug targeting strategies for liver diseases, particularly liver fibrosis and sepsis, utilizing nanomedicine and peptide-modified biologicals. He leads the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy's Nanomedicine & Drug Targeting unit and holds a chair in the Biopharmaceuticals, Discovery, Design and Delivery (BDDD) group within the Faculty of Medical Sciences/UMCG.

Key contributions include pioneering work on alkaline phosphatase's role in detoxifying lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its therapeutic applications in sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. His research has spun off companies like AM-Pharma and BiOrion Technologies, advancing clinical trials for targeted therapies. Prof. Poelstra has authored over 185 publications, with recent work emphasizing hepatic stellate cell targeting, antifibrotic agents, and cytokine delivery systems.

His societal impact includes patents on LPS detoxification and PDGF-receptor targeting technologies, contributing to Phase III clinical trials for sepsis-induced kidney injury and liver fibrosis treatments. Collaborations span academic and industrial partners globally, addressing translational challenges in nanomedicine and precision drug delivery.