Peptidylarginine Deiminases (PADs) and Extracellular Vesicle (EV)-mediated Communication in Pathobiology
Dr Sigrun Lange – Project Leader
As Reader in Molecular Pathology, I lead a pioneering cross-disciplinary research programme with a focus on Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) and Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), elucidating novel mechanisms underpinning fundamental pathobiological and physiological processes.
In my research I use in vitro human and in vivo animal-models of disease, and across the phylogeny tree, including in animal species with unusual immune and metabolic features such as resistance to cancer, ageing and hypoxia, as well as various models for neurodegenerative disease, tissue regeneration, and models of host-pathogen interactions and infection (including zoonotic disease and COVID-19), for the discovery of novel mechanisms underlying key concepts in the evolution of immune responses to inform human pathologies, for therapeutic and drug-directed strategies, for disease fingerprinting and biomarker discovery. I have strong collaborations with cross-disciplinary academic and industrial partners in the UK, USA, Canada, South-America and Europe. In 2021 I was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRBS) for my contribution in advancing fundamental concepts in Biological Sciences.
Topics under investigation:
- The role for PADs in shaping physiological processes and immunity across evolution
- Extracellular vesicle fingerprinting across the phylogeny tree
- PADs and EVs in neurological disease, neuronal repair and regenerative medicine
- PAD-mediated regulation of extracellular vesicles in cancer – novel therapeutic approaches
- Extracellular vesicles in cellular communication
- Extracellular vesicles and PADs in host-pathogen co-evolution and interactions
- PADs and novel molecular mechanisms in SARS-CoV-2 infection and zoonotic transmission
- PADs and EVs in hypoxic pathways
- Extracellular vesicles as health index biomarkers for human health
- Novel roles for cannabidiol (CBD) as regulators of extracellular vesicle signatures in cancer and infection
I supervise PhD and MSc research student projects relating to the themes above.
See associated publications to research in my group at Google Scholar and WestminsterResearch.
Melanocortin peptides and natural products in models of inflammation and cell death
Dr Stephen Getting – Project Leader
My research focuses on understanding the role played by the melanocortin peptides and natural products in models of inflammation and cell death. The aim of this research is to understand their mechanism of action and identification of target receptors/pathways for pharmacological manipulation and subsequent disease treatment. Understanding how these naturally occurring products exhibit their pharmacological effects (i.e. an early phase inhibition of cytokine release, late phase induction of pro-resolving anti-inflammatory pathways and prevention of cell apoptosis) is an important area of development for regenerative medicine. Using cell based assays, this research will hopefully lead to development of novel therapeutics to treat some of the biggest debilitating diseases that we face such as arthritis and neurodegeneration.