ESR1
ESR 1: Silvia Oggero
Microparticles as natural nanomedicines to control vascular reactivity
Research project
Microparticles are extracellular vesicles abundantly present in blood, bearing markers that identify the cell of origin (e.g. endothelial, neutrophil, monocyte, platelet). The concept of microparticle heterogeneity is emerging, whereby the same cell can produce microparticles with distinct components in relation to the mode of activation. The objective is to study human monocyte-derived microparticles in vitro mimicking events that occur in the inflamed vasculature.
ESR 1 will:
- Produce and characterise by ImageX™ cytometry(Headland 2014, PMID:24913598), Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (Nanosight™) and sorting monocyte-derived microparticle markers upon application of distinct stimulants [Fc receptor ligation; LTB4 and CCL2]
- Study dynamics of monocyte microparticle generation upon addition of activated platelets (with ADP or thromboxane receptor agonist)
- Test the functions of microparticles when applied to endothelial cells under flow or to assays of platelet activation with ESR 3
- Search for identified new subsets of monocyte microparticles in plasma samples of mice prone to atherosclerosis and vascular calcification (provided by LMU and UMA, respectively).
Main Supervisor
Name: Mauro Perretti
Email: m.perretti@qmul.ac.uk
Host Institution
Centre for Biochemical Pharmacology
Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry
Charterhouse Square
London, EC1M 6BQ
United Kingdom
Expected Results
Identify subsets of monocyte-derived microparticles and establish their biology in assays relevant to vascular inflammation. Pinpoint subsets to be developed as autologous nanomedicines.
Planned secondment(s)
- UMA, The Netherlands (Feb-March 2018): To optimise separation assays with beads loaded with specific antibody.
- MosaMedix, The Netherlands (April 2018): To train on patent writing and filing to protect and benefit from inventions.
- UCD, Ireland (May-June 2018): To perform lipidomics and proteomics of specific subsets of microparticles.
