Close
Research
Our research programme uses tissue biopsies and in vitro systems to investigate critical mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, utilising control and patient-derived tissues and cells and in vivo models. Key regulatory pathways are examined, leading to a better understanding of disease pathogenesis, and improved management and treatment of connective tissue diseases.
The Centre uses a translational approach to biomedical research. Basic science discoveries lead to large clinical programmes in scleroderma at the Royal Free Hospital, where a team-based environment co-ordinates multidisciplinary care for more than 1500 patients. The Centre also contains large specialist pulmonary hypertension (PAH) and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) clinics incorporated within the connective tissue diseases service Major research areas.
Areas of interest for our research groups
- Professor Chris Denton
Research focuses on studies relevant to systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and related connective tissue disease and spans clinical, translational and basic scientific themes. Clinical projects include interventional clinical trials in the area of scleroderma, Raynaud's phenomenon and pulmonary hypertension as well as research examining predictors of outcome and stratified approaches to patient investigation and management. Translational projects include studies of systemic sclerosis biology and development of new in vitro and in vivo model systems to test hypotheses of pathogenesis and new targets for therapy. The group has close links with others in the centre working on fibrosis, vascular biology and genetics.
- Dr Markella Ponticos
Research interests include the mechanisms that underpin the biology of mesenchymal cells in normal tissues (skin, lungs and vessels) and the way they alter during wound healing, tissue remodelling and in disease. Interest lies in the transcriptional control mechanism(s) that result in the regulation of extracellular matrix genes in vivo, with particular emphasis on the fibroblast / myofibroblast and the smooth muscle cell. There are three main linked areas of study: (1) Vascular remodelling in atherosclerosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension (2) Biology of mesenchymal cells and the cell and molecular mechanism(s) of tissue repair, scarring and fibrosis (3) Tissue specific regulation of genes to define mesenchymal cell lineages using Collagen Type I gene regulation.
- Dr Jo Cambridge
Her group focuses its interests on B cell depletion (an idea which they introduced (with the now retired Professor Jo Edwards) approximately 10 years ago for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis), exploring more precisely how the technique works and trying to explain the marked variation in response between different patients. She has a strong clinical collaboration with Dr Maria Leandro.
- Professor Mike Ehrenstein
Professor Ehrenstein leads a research group investigating the immunoregulation of autoimmune rheumatic disease and is particularly interested in how novel therapies modulate the autoimmune response in the context of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
The use of novel biologic therapies represents an important tool to understand the aberrant immune responses found in patients with autoimmunity.
In this context, his research group has been studying the phenotype, functional and molecular characteristics of regulatory T cells in patients with RA and SLE before and after therapy.
He has also been focusing on the pathogenic and regulatory properties of B cells in patients with SLE as well as investigating the tolerogenic nature of secreted IgM.
- Professor Rodney Grahame
Professor Grahame is one of the world's leaders in hypermobility syndrome focusing on its range of clinical diversity, aetiopathogenesis and improving the management of the condition.
- Professor David Isenberg
Professor Isenberg has a long standing interest in the structure, function, origin and pathogenecity of anti-DNA antibodies and antiphospholipid antibodies.
Professor Isenberg has a great interest in the establishment of "tools" used to assess patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Myositis, and Sjogren's Syndrome.
He undertakes long term observational studies of these conditions and has run many trials of biological therapies for patients who have them.
In 2010 he was the first North-American to be awarded the Hess Prize for outstanding contribution to the study of systemic lupus erythematosus.- Dr Elizabeth Jury
Dr Jury's interests focus on abnormalities in signaling within both T and B lymphocytes, in particularly within the area of the cell known as the lipid raft.
She, too, focuses on abnormalities in the context of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.- Professor Claudia Mauri
Professor Claudia Mauri's main interest is the identification, functional analysis and the genetical characterization of regulatory B cells. Her complementary interest includes the understanding of the cause of the loss of regulation of immune responses (regulatory B and T cells), which may be the cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
She is the postgraduate tutor for inflammation in the Division of Medicine and the course organiser for Immunology in Health and Disease.
- APS Group - Professor Anisur Rahman / Dr Ian Giles / Dr John Ioannou
This group focuses on the structure, function, origin and pathogenic consequences of the antiphospholipid antibodies.
These antibodies are linked to a predisposition to arterial and venous clotting and an increase in the risk of pregnancy losses - the clinical condition known as the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
They are working on understanding at a cellular level how these antibodies cause clinical effects and on the development of a novel therapeutic agent.
Areas of interest for our research groups
- Professor Chris Denton
Research focuses on studies relevant to systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and related connective tissue disease and spans clinical, translational and basic scientific themes. Clinical projects include interventional clinical trials in the area of scleroderma, Raynaud's phenomenon and pulmonary hypertension as well as research examining predictors of outcome and stratified approaches to patient investigation and management. Translational projects include studies of systemic sclerosis biology and development of new in vitro and in vivo model systems to test hypotheses of pathogenesis and new targets for therapy. The group has close links with others in the centre working on fibrosis, vascular biology and genetics.
- Dr Markella Ponticos
Research interests include the mechanisms that underpin the biology of mesenchymal cells in normal tissues (skin, lungs and vessels) and the way they alter during wound healing, tissue remodelling and in disease. Interest lies in the transcriptional control mechanism(s) that result in the regulation of extracellular matrix genes in vivo, with particular emphasis on the fibroblast / myofibroblast and the smooth muscle cell. There are three main linked areas of study: (1) Vascular remodelling in atherosclerosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension (2) Biology of mesenchymal cells and the cell and molecular mechanism(s) of tissue repair, scarring and fibrosis (3) Tissue specific regulation of genes to define mesenchymal cell lineages using Collagen Type I gene regulation.
- Dr Jo Cambridge
Her group focuses its interests on B cell depletion (an idea which they introduced (with the now retired Professor Jo Edwards) approximately 10 years ago for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis), exploring more precisely how the technique works and trying to explain the marked variation in response between different patients. She has a strong clinical collaboration with Dr Maria Leandro.
- Professor Mike Ehrenstein
Professor Ehrenstein leads a research group investigating the immunoregulation of autoimmune rheumatic disease and is particularly interested in how novel therapies modulate the autoimmune response in the context of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
The use of novel biologic therapies represents an important tool to understand the aberrant immune responses found in patients with autoimmunity.
In this context, his research group has been studying the phenotype, functional and molecular characteristics of regulatory T cells in patients with RA and SLE before and after therapy.
He has also been focusing on the pathogenic and regulatory properties of B cells in patients with SLE as well as investigating the tolerogenic nature of secreted IgM.
- Professor Rodney Grahame
Professor Grahame is one of the world's leaders in hypermobility syndrome focusing on its range of clinical diversity, aetiopathogenesis and improving the management of the condition.
- Professor David Isenberg
Professor Isenberg has a long standing interest in the structure, function, origin and pathogenecity of anti-DNA antibodies and antiphospholipid antibodies.
Professor Isenberg has a great interest in the establishment of "tools" used to assess patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Myositis, and Sjogren's Syndrome.
He undertakes long term observational studies of these conditions and has run many trials of biological therapies for patients who have them.
In 2010 he was the first North-American to be awarded the Hess Prize for outstanding contribution to the study of systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Dr Elizabeth Jury
Dr Jury's interests focus on abnormalities in signaling within both T and B lymphocytes, in particularly within the area of the cell known as the lipid raft.
She, too, focuses on abnormalities in the context of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
- Claudia Mauri
Professor Claudia Mauri's main interest is the identification, functional analysis and the genetical characterization of regulatory B cells. Her complementary interest includes the understanding of the cause of the loss of regulation of immune responses (regulatory B and T cells), which may be the cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
She is the postgraduate tutor for inflammation in the Division of Medicine and the course organiser for Immunology in Health and Disease.
- APS Group
Professor Anisur Rahman / Dr Ian Giles / Dr John Ioannou
This group focuses on the structure, function, origin and pathogenic consequences of the antiphospholipid antibodies.
These antibodies are linked to a predisposition to arterial and venous clotting and an increase in the risk of pregnancy losses - the clinical condition known as the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
They are working on understanding at a cellular level how these antibodies cause clinical effects and on the development of a novel therapeutic agent.