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Teaching Summary
Lecturing advanced immunology to MSc Oncology and MSc Cancer Immunology & Biotechnology students.
Research Summary
The group lead by Dr Andrew Jackson and Professor Poulam Patel, comprises post-doctoral and clinical fellows, several PhD students, and a research technician and is supported by the MRC, industry… read more
Selected Publications
WANG, Q., FRANKS, H.A., LAX, S.J., EL REFAEE, M., MALECKA, A., SHAH, S., SPENDLOVE, I., GOUGH, M.J., SEEDHOUSE, C., MADHUSUDAN, S., PATEL, P.M. and JACKSON, A.M., 2013. The ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase pathway regulates IL-23 expression by human dendritic cells Journal of Immunology. 190(7), 3246-3255 SUTAVANI, R.V., BRADLEY, R.G., RAMAGE, J.M., JACKSON, A.M., DURRANT, L.G. and SPENDLOVE, I., 2013. CD55 costimulation induces differentiation of a discrete Tr1 regulatory T cell population with a stable phenotype Journal of Immunology. 191(n/a), n/a FRANKS, H.A., WANG, Q., LAX, S.J., COLLINS, M.K., ESCORS, D., PATEL, P.M. and JACKSON, A.M., 2014. Novel function for the p38-MK2 signalling pathway in circulating CD1c+ (BDCA-1+) myeloid dendritic cells from healthy donors and advanced cancer patients: inhibition of p38 enhances IL-12 whilst suppressing IL-10 International Journal of Cancer. 134(3), 575-586 CRITTENDEN M, SAVAGE T, COTTAM B, BHAJAT K, REDMOND W, BAMBINA S, KASIEWICZ M, NEWELL P, JACKSON AM and GOUGH M, 2013. The peripheral myeloid expansion driven by murine cancer progression is reversed by radiation therapy of the tumor PLoS One. 8(7), e69527
Current Research
The group lead by Dr Andrew Jackson and Professor Poulam Patel, comprises post-doctoral and clinical fellows, several PhD students, and a research technician and is supported by the MRC, industry (X-BioCell Ltd.), Breast Cancer Campaign, Matt's Fund for Cancer Research, and the University of Nottingham. Our research focuses on understanding the molecular pathways through which tumours suppress the immune system with a view to first-in-man immunotherapies.
Our recent focus has concerned targeting specific intracellular signaling pathways in dendritic cells (DC) to modify their function or restore immuno-suppression resulting from malignancy. Key areas of interest include ATM-kinase, p38-MAPK, MEK-ERK and the Unfolded Protein Response pathway (UPR). We have shown that modulation of these pathways impacts on the generation of CD4-responses and this work is now in a pre-clinical phase. The importance of circulating DC including CD1c+ myeloid and SlanDC (collaboration with Dr. Marc Schmitz, Dresden) in advanced cancer patients is a major focus.
Other research (collaboration with Prof Uwe Aickelin) concerns computational simulation of the balance of peripheral iTreg and Th17 responses in healthy immune aging (immunosenescence). This important programme will allow us to understand the immune-status of patients with a view to optimising their immunotherapy.
Past Research
Next-generation BCG-immunotherapy
BCG-Immunotherapy of bladder cancer
Anti-TNF strategies for rheumatoid arthritis
Future Research
Developing new first-in-man immunotherapies for cancer based on ex vivo DC vaccines, incorporating specific inhibitors of intracellular signalling pathways.