Antonius J. Rabelink

Antonius J. Rabelink is a Professor of Medicine and Head of the Division of Nephrology and Transplantation at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), where he has established himself as a leading figure in vascular biology and kidney regeneration research. With over 700 publications, an H-index of 73, and more than 22,000 citations, his work spans endothelial cell biology, glycocalyx research, and regenerative medicine approaches for kidney disease. He serves as the figurehead of Regenerative Medicine in the Netherlands and leads the kidney 'moonshot' initiative within the European public-private partnership RegMed XB.

Dr. Rabelink's research interests focus on two primary areas: endothelial cell biology (including intracellular signaling, eNOS function, and the role of endothelial progenitors) and kidney regeneration (using mesenchymal stromal cells and hiPSC-derived kidney organoids). His work bridges basic science with clinical translation, particularly in diabetes-related vascular complications and kidney disease. He established NECSTGEN, Leiden's regenerative medicine center, which houses a GMP facility for developing Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products accessible to academia and SMEs.

His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on metabolic regulation of endothelial cells, vascularization dynamics in kidney organoids, and clinical translation of regenerative approaches. The research demonstrates a clear trajectory from fundamental discoveries about glycocalyx and glyco-landscapes to clinical applications in kidney regeneration and diabetes treatment.

• Elected member KHMW (Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities)
• Distinguished (honorary) fellow of the European Renal Association
• Honorary International Member of the German Society of Kidney Disease
• Patent US6544994B2 for endothelial progenitor cell applications
• Patent NL2013016 for vascular access graft technology
• President of the Dutch Federation for Nephrology (2013-2019)

As a mentor, Dr. Rabelink oversees a research team comprising 5 postdocs, 4 PhD students, and 3 research technicians. His leadership extends to major research initiatives including the STELLAR EU-FP7 consortium (€6M budget) focused on stem cell therapy for kidney repair and the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study involving 6,500 participants. His laboratory has pioneered approaches in tissue engineering of vascular access grafts and demonstrated the feasibility of reendothelializing human kidney scaffolds with iPSC-derived endothelial cells.

Dr. Rabelink directs NECSTGEN, the Leiden regenerative medicine center, which houses a GMP facility for research and development of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products. His team has established protocols for hiPSC-derived kidney organoids and demonstrated their maturation, vascularization, and active filtration upon transplantation. The laboratory also maintains the islet cell transplantation unit focused on curing diabetes rather than just treating complications.