Quorum sensing signalling molecules (QSSMs) are important to Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and biofilm development which aid establishment and persistence of these bacteria in the host. Recent progress in quorum sensing (QS) research has demonstrated that the two QSSMs, 3-oxo…
Regulated adherence of monocytes to extracellular matrix macromolecules is a prerequisite for their accumulation at sites of pulmonary infection and inflammation. To begin to assess the pathobiological importance of alterations in monocyte adherence to extracellular matrix in in…
The role of serum autoantibodies, soluble adhesion molecules, plasma and mucosal cytokines were studied following surgery for ulcerative colitis (UC). A high prevalence of ANCA was found in UC but not in Crohn’s disease. ANCA positive UC sera were found to recognise a variety of…
By advancing our knowledge of these key signals in regulating tolerance and priming at the single cell level in vitro and in vivo, we will therefore increase our understanding of an important physiological process at the molecular level, ultimately leading to identification of p…
Furthermore, these studies provide a better understanding of the therapeutic potential of this parasite molecule in inflammatory diseases such as CIA and asthma and collectively, they have demonstrated the potent immunomodulatory effects of ES-62.
The studies reported in this thesis deal with the in vivo transmission of homologous and heterologous IgG and other proteins across the proximal small intestine of the suckling rat. The uptake of these labelled macromolecules from the intestine was monitored, and the subsequent …
Pertussis toxin (PT) is a major virulence factor produced by Bordetella pertussis. In its detoxified form (PTd), it is an important component of acellular pertussis vaccines although some residual FT activity may be present because of the limitations of the detoxification proces…
African trypanosomes, the causative agent of sleeping sickness in humans, and nagana in cattle, are typically transmitted by the bite of an infected tsetse fly. The nature of the mammalian innate immune response during and immediately after the bite of an infected tsetse fly rem…
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are an emerging family of cells which have been well-characterised within the gut and peripheral tissues. Despite being implicated in shaping adaptive immune responses, relatively little is known about their function within lymph nodes (LNs), importa…
Histones are group of positively charged proteins that form nuclear cores for building chromatins with double stranded DNAs. During cell death, the nuclear breakdown products can be released extracellularly and rapidly cleared by leucocytes and macrophages. However, during exten…
This work explores the long-standing question of which forces drive the maintenance of MHC diversity in vertebrates. More precisely, it investigates whether a special form of heterozygote advantage can explain the characteristic features of MHC genes, as the large number of alle…
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex is a key regulator of protein synthesis, with resistance exercise and protein ingestion both shown to increase mTOR activity in human skeletal muscle. It has recently been proposed that mTOR activity is regulated via its intracell…
Introduction: Varying degrees of periodontal disease affect the majority of the population. Severe forms of periodontitis have a considerable impact on oral health and quality of life. Periodontitis results from imbalances in the oral microbiome and the host immune response. The…
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease, which targets the synovial membrane and joints of patients, resulting in irreversible bone damage, and disability. The development of new treatments for RA is limited by our incomplete understanding of disease…
Autoimmune neuropathies are a group of conditions resulting from inflammatory attack of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute autoimmune neuropathy, presents in both axonal and demyelinating forms. Axonal forms of GBS are caused by autoanti…
The innate immune system has a variety of ways of recognizing infection from pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. One of its first lines of defence is to detect Pattern Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) using Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) such as the Toll-Like Rece…
Sepsis remains a common reason for hospital admission and is associated with a high mortality especially in the elderly. Neutrophils are one of the primary immune cells involved in the elimination of pathogens; however also contribute to the pathogenesis of multi-organ failure i…
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a subset of multipotent cells with a variety of trophic and immunosuppressive functions. Isolation of murine MSCs has traditionally been hampered by the presence of contaminating cells in culture. In this study, I prospectively isolate murine MS…
Protease activated receptor 2 (PAR2) is one member of a family of G-protein coupled receptors. A defining feature of this family of receptors is their protease mediated activation. An emerging role for PAR2 in both the immune system and also in bone biology suggests a potential …