About the Authors

Marie-José C. van Lierop

Contributed equally to this work with: Marie-José C. van Lierop, Wynand Alkema

mariejose.vanlierop@merck.com

Affiliation Department of Immune Therapeutics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Wynand Alkema

Contributed equally to this work with: Marie-José C. van Lierop, Wynand Alkema

Affiliation Department of Molecular Design and Informatics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Anke J. Laskewitz

Affiliation Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Rein Dijkema

Affiliation Molecular Pharmacology Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Hans M. van der Maaden

Affiliation Molecular Pharmacology Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Martin J. Smit

Affiliation Molecular Pharmacology Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Ralf Plate

Affiliation Medicinal Chemistry Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Paolo G. M. Conti

Affiliation Medicinal Chemistry Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Christan G. J. M. Jans

Affiliation Medicinal Chemistry Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

C. Marco Timmers

Affiliation Women's Health Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Constant A. A. van Boeckel

Affiliation Medicinal Chemistry Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Scott J. Lusher

Affiliation Department of Molecular Design and Informatics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Ross McGuire

Affiliation Department of Molecular Design and Informatics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Rene C. van Schaik

Affiliation Department of Molecular Design and Informatics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Jacob de Vlieg

Affiliation Department of Molecular Design and Informatics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Ruben L. Smeets

Affiliation Department of Immune Therapeutics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Claudia L. Hofstra

Affiliation Department of Immune Therapeutics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Annemieke M. H. Boots

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Marcel van Duin

Affiliation Women's Health Department, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Benno A. Ingelse

Affiliation Toxicology and Drug Disposition, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Willem G. E. J. Schoonen

Affiliation Toxicology and Drug Disposition, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Aldo Grefhorst

Affiliation Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Theo H. van Dijk

Affiliation Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Folkert Kuipers

Affiliations Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Wim H. A. Dokter

Affiliation Department of Immune Therapeutics, MSD, Oss, The Netherlands

Competing Interests

The authors have read the journal's policy and have the following conflicts. The following co-authors are or were employees at Merck at the time the work described in this manuscript was performed: M.J.C. van Lierop, W. Alkema, R. Dijkema, H. van der Maaden, M.J. Smit, R. Plate, P.G.M. Conti, C.G.J.M. Jans, C.M. Timmers, C.A.A. van Boeckel, S.J. Lusher, R. McGuire, R.C. van Schaik, J. de Vlieg, R. Smeets, C.L. Hofstra, A.M.H. Boots, M. van Duin, B.A. Ingelse, W.G.J.E. Schoonen and W. Dokter. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. The research described in this manuscript was funded by Top Institute Pharma (TIPharma), a nonprofit organization that catalyzes medicine development by founding partnerships between academia and industry. The co-author A.J. Laskewitz was employed by TIPharma. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: MvL WA AL RD HvdM RP PC CJ SL RS CH AB WS AG TvD WD. Performed the experiments: MvL WA AL RD HvdM RP PC CJ SL RS CH WS AG TvD FK. Analyzed the data: MvL WA AL RD HvdM RP PC CJ SL RS CH AB WS AG TvD FK WD. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MvL WA AL RD HvdM MS RP PC CJ CT CvB SL RvS JdV RS CH AB MvD BI WS AG TvD FK WD. Wrote the paper: MvL WA AL RD HvdM RP PC SL RS CH AB WS AG TvD FK WD. Managing and providing tools/scientific input in the research project from their specific discipline: MS CT CvB RM RvS JdV MvD BI FK WD.