Professor John Greenman J.Greenman@hull.ac.uk
Professor of Tumour Immunology
The effect of corticosteroids on the release of immune modulating factors from Graves’ disease tissue maintained using microfluidic culture.
People Involved
Project Description
Graves’ disease (GD) affects approximately 2% of adult women. Current treatments for GD include anti-thyroid drugs, radioiodine therapy and surgery, of which none tackle the underlying pathogenic process. Immunosuppressive agents are therefore of growing interest, exemplified by combined treatment using an intrathyroid dexamethasone injection and methimazole, which was shown to prevent GD relapse in a randomised controlled trial.
The immunomodulatory effects of corticosteroids on GD is unclear, with endogenous elevation during the stress response being a theorised risk factor for GD development. Dexamethasone was shown to modulate T cell function in GD. T cells utilise secreted cytokines for inter-cellular networking and aberration of this process in GD is considered pathophysiological. Targeting of these cytokines represents a novel treatment strategy for GD, mirroring developments in other autoimmune processes.
Microfluidic systems (MFS) mimic the in vivo environment, offering the potential to study the cellular dynamics of tissue ex vivo. MFS can homeostatically maintain and interrogate 2-3mm tissue samples for detailed assessment of the immunological milieu and its modification by external agents in vivo. Using MFS we aim to monitor changes in the cytokine profile following corticosteroid exposure of GD thyroid tissue maintained ex vivo, aiming to identify potential targets for biological agents.
| Status | Project Complete |
|---|---|
| Value | £5,000.00 |
| Project Dates | Jun 1, 2017 - May 31, 2018 |
You might also like
Blood test for clinical therapy guidance of non-small cell lung cancer patients Jan 1, 2017 - Oct 31, 2022
Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. NSCLC alone make up about 75% of all lung cancers and most hospitals currently test all NSCLC patients for EGFR mutations (pharmacogenomics) for treatment decision (personalised medicine) – i.e., patie...
Read More about Blood test for clinical therapy guidance of non-small cell lung cancer patients.
Development of a multipurpose small animal phantom for pre-clinical radiotherapy studies Apr 1, 2016 - Mar 31, 2019
The project aims to both reduce the total number of animals used for preclinical radiotherapy experiments whilst concurrently increasing the accuracy of such investigations in order to maximise their clinical impact. This will be achieved through the...
Read More about Development of a multipurpose small animal phantom for pre-clinical radiotherapy studies.
The Hull-Norwich Gut-Brian Study May 31, 2016 - Jun 30, 2018
Objective To obtain mechanistic insights into how resident commensal gut bacteria (the microbiota) influences host physiology and in particular brain function and host behaviour. The focus is on identifying the pathways and molecules originating from...
Read More about The Hull-Norwich Gut-Brian Study.
Lab on a Chip NC3Rs Engagement Award Aug 15, 2016 - Aug 14, 2017
This project will deliver a programme of public engagement with innovative hands-on activities in the area of tissue/organ-on-a-chip which are emerging as life-like models to reduce and replace animal testing to school children and the general public...
Read More about Lab on a Chip NC3Rs Engagement Award.
In vitro analysis of thyroid cancer and it's response to radiotherapy May 22, 2015 - May 21, 2018