Inflammation
Inflammatory processes represent a fundamental biological function impacting both positively (physiology) and negatively (pathology) on the performance of our body.
Our research aims to discover the mechanisms behind leukocyte trafficking, organ disease and tissue remodelling with the ultimate goal to develop novel therapeutic approaches. The latter would include small molecule agonists and antagonists, targeting and therapeutic antibodies, nutraceutical strategies to augment patient-specific pro-resolving pathways.
We have expanded our inflammation research impact with the formation of a cross-institute multi-faculty Centre for Inflammation and Therapeutic Innovation (CiTI) establishing a strategic partnership with Arthritis Research UK, UCB Pharma and UCL Partners. During the first phase of financing of CiTI, we have established two Arthritis Research UK Chairs at the William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI). CiTI harness WHRI inflammation research themes, and bring together other sections of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, with a focus on therapeutic innovation.
Key research areas
Genomic Medicine and Patient Stratification
Lead researchers: Pitzalis, Bombardieri, Lewis, Mageed, Dalli, Barnes, Mantovani, Montero-Melendez
Vascular Inflammation
Lead researchers: Nourshargh, Rot, Marelli-Berg, Cooper, Voisin, Hobbs, Ahluwalia, Henson, Ackland, Longhi, Thiemermann, Nightingale, Solito
Therapeutic Innovation and Pharmacology
Lead researchers: Perretti, Mantovani, Marelli-Berg, Nissim, Dalli, Norling, Whiteford, Thiemermann, Yaqoob, Aksoy, Corsiero, Pitzalis, Rot, Chen, Montero-Melendez
Repair and Regenerative Medicine
Lead researchers: Dell’Accio, Perretti, Dalli, Norling, Eldridge, Montero-Melendez
As such our inflammation programme dovetails very well with a large proportion of our efforts in cardiovascular research.
Our translational research is published in Science and Nature journals, Immunity, PNAS, JCI and more, and the excellence of our research is recognised by the award of the Arthritis Research UK Early Arthritis Treatment Centre and an NIHR Translational Research Partnership as well as by high profile individual fellowships, training programmes and more.
- We lead translational research on rheumatoid arthritis patient stratification, enabling adoption of the cancer model (deep tissue pathotype definition to guide personalised therapy).
- We pioneered the area of Resolution of Inflammation identifying distinct mediators and receptor targets.
- We made fundamental discoveries on the process of leukocyte trafficking, with translational relevance to organ transplantation.
- For REF2014, we have returned outputs published in Nature, Nature Immunology (x3), Nature Cell Biology, J Exp Med (x2), J Clin Invest, J Cell Biol (x2), PNAS (x2), Blood (x3), Circulation Research and several articles in J Immunol, Arthritis & Rheumatism and Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.
