we collaborate with CVON-GENIUS II as we share mutual interest in developing novel therapeutics for the cardiovascular pharmaceutical market. Together with Dr. Slutter and Dr. Bot (GENIUS II), we (Debby Koonen/ Folkert Kuipers) were awarded a TKI – LSH - Dutch Heart Foundation Award to develop an innovative ex vivo system to study the atherosclerotic disease process based on the human atherosclerotic plaques (GAIN-MODE). We have combined forces to (1) optimize the model, (2) validate the model as tool for testing of CVD therapeutics and discovery of novel CVD biomarkers; and (3) apply the model to generate data on the effect of novel drug candidates as innovative therapeutics for atherosclerosis within our own consortia.

• Niels Riksen is also a WP leader in the DCVA IMPRESS consortium (National collaborative knowledge platform to impact on sex- and gender sensitive cardiovascular medicine). In this WP, he will be responsible to explore the role of immune cell reprogramming in the adverse cardiovascular sequelae of hypertensive pregnancy-related disorders. For that purpose, he will make use of some of the protocols/methods developed in IN-CONTROL II.

IN-CONTROL II closely collaborates with the following international partners:

• prof. Dave Burgner (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia)
• prof. J.L. Kirkland and Tamar Tchkonia (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, NY, USA)
• prof F. Backhed (Gothenburg, Sweden)
• dr. Irit Gat-Viks (Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel)

• We collaborate with members of the International Trained Immunity (INTRIM consortium): https://www.trainedimmunity.org/

IN-CONTROL II closely collaborates with the following companies:

• Trained Therapeutics Discovery Inc., a USA based company aimed at discovering novel drugs to modulate trained immunity
• the Dutch company Caelus Health