Immune responses are regulated by the interactions between immune cells and the stromal cells in their tissue environments. Our research aims to understand the molecular crosstalk which regulates immune responses and lymphoid tissue remodelling in the context of adaptive immunity and anti-tumour immune responses.
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Collaborations
Learn more about our collaborations with scientists at UCL, other universities, and scientific bodies.
Our principal funders
Selected publications
Makris S, Hari-Gupta Y, Cantoral-Rebordinos JA, Martinez VG, Horsnell HL, Benjamin AC, Cinti I, Jovancheva M, Shewring D, Nguyen N, de Winde CM, Denton AE, Acton SE. Lymph node fibroblast phenotypes and immune crosstalk regulated by podoplanin activity. Cell Rep. 2025 Jul 22;44(7):115908. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115908. Epub 2025 Jun 27. PMID: 40581928.
Horsnell HL, Tetley RJ, De Belly H, Makris S, Millward LJ, Benjamin AC, Heeringa LA, de Winde CM, Paluch EK, Mao Y, Acton SE. Lymph node homeostasis and adaptation to immune challenge resolved by fibroblast network mechanics. Nat Immunol. 2022 Aug;23(8):1169-1182. doi: 10.1038/s41590-022-01272-5. Epub 2022 Jul 26. PMID: 35882934; PMCID: PMC9355877.
Acton SE, Onder L, Novkovic M, Martinez VG, Ludewig B. Communication, construction, and fluid control: lymphoid organ fibroblastic reticular cell and conduit networks. Trends Immunol. 2021 Sep;42(9):782-794. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2021.07.003. Epub 2021 Aug 3. PMID: 34362676.
de Winde CM, Makris S, Millward LJ, Cantoral-Rebordinos JA, Benjamin AC, Martínez VG, Acton SE. Fibroblastic reticular cell response to dendritic cells requires coordinated activity of podoplanin, CD44 and CD9. J Cell Sci. 2021 Jul 15;134(14):jcs258610. doi: 10.1242/jcs.258610. Epub 2021 Jul 22. PMID: 34184727; PMCID: PMC8325952.
Martinez VG, Pankova V, Krasny L, Singh T, Makris S, White IJ, Benjamin AC, Dertschnig S, Horsnell HL, Kriston-Vizi J, Burden JJ, Huang PH, Tape CJ, Acton SE. Fibroblastic Reticular Cells Control Conduit Matrix Deposition during Lymph Node Expansion. Cell Rep. 2019 Nov 26;29(9):2810-2822.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.103. PMID: 31775047; PMCID: PMC6899512.
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Acton Lab
Click to email. s.acton@ucl.ac.uk