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Tumour draining lymph node-generated CD8 T cells play a role in controlling lung metastases after a primary tumour is removed but not when adjuvant immunotherapy is usedSurgical resection of cancer remains the frontline therapy for millions of patients annually, but post-operative recurrence is common, with a relapse rate of around 45% for non-small cell lung cancer. The tumour draining lymph nodes (dLN) are resected at the time of surgery for staging purposes, and this cannot be a null event for patient survival and future response to immune checkpoint blockade treatment. This project investigates cancer surgery, lymphadenectomy, onset of metastatic disease, and response to immunotherapy in a novel model that closely reflects the clinical setting. In a murine metastatic lung cancer model, primary subcutaneous tumours were resected with associated dLNs remaining intact, completely resected or partially resected.
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Impaired T cell proliferation by ex vivo BET-inhibition impedes adoptive immunotherapy in a murine melanoma modelWe established a pipeline to assess the effects of epigenetic modifiers on CD8+ T cell proliferation, differentiation, and efficacy in a preclinical melanoma model
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Whole genome and biomarker analysis of patients with recurrent glioblastoma on bevacizumab: A subset analysis of the CABARET trial.Whole genome sequencing of poor and exceptional survivors identified a gain in Chromosome 19 that was exclusive to the exceptional survivors
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Dietary Vitamin D Increases Percentages and Function of Regulatory T Cells in the Skin-Draining Lymph Nodes and Suppresses Dermal InflammationDietary vitamin D3 increased the suppressive activity of regulatory T cells in the skin-draining lymph nodes, which are poised to suppress dermal inflammation
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Inhibition of Autophagy Promotes the Elimination of Liver Cancer Stem Cells by CD133 Aptamer-Targeted Delivery of DoxorubicinDoxorubicin is the most frequently used chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, one major obstacle to the effective management of liver cancer is the drug resistance derived from the cancer stem cells.
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Non-severe burn injury increases cancer incidence in mice and has long-term impacts on the activation and function of T cellsRecent evidence suggests that burn patients are at increased risk of hospital admission for infection, mental health conditions, cardiovascular disease and cancer for many years after discharge for the burn injury itself.
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Exploiting temporal aspects of cancer immunotherapyMany mechanisms underlying an effective immunotherapy-induced antitumour response are transient and critically time dependent. This is equally true for several immunological events in the tumour microenvironment induced by other cancer treatments. Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) has proven to be very effective in the treatment of some cancers, but unfortunately, with many cancer types, most patients do not experience a benefit.
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Disruption of ovarian function and induction of apoptosis in female mice by Brefeldin A: Mechanistic insights into reproductive toxicityThe investigation of ovarian development, dysfunction, and aging is essential for female reproductive health. Despite extensive research on the cellular functions of Brefeldin A (BFA) as an intracellular transport inhibitor, its specific effects and mechanisms on ovarian development/aging remain inadequately understood.
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Rewiring endogenous genes in CAR T cells for tumour-restricted payload deliveryThe efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in solid tumours is limited by immunosuppression and antigen heterogeneity. To overcome these barriers, 'armoured' CAR T cells, which secrete proinflammatory cytokines, have been developed. However, their clinical application has been limited because of toxicity related to peripheral expression of the armouring transgene.
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Use of high-resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization for fast and robust detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNAsEarly, rapid, and accurate diagnostic tests play critical roles not only in the identification/management of individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2, but also in fast and effective public health surveillance, containment, and response. Our aim has been to develop a fast and robust fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) detection method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNAs by using an HEK 293 T cell culture model.