Platform Academic Lead: TBC
Platform Head of Service: Dr Richard Ellis
The BRC Advanced Phenotyping Platform enables researchers to conduct advanced immune monitoring and phenotyping studies using state of the art equipment. The platform deploys the latest methodologies and tools in flow, mass and image cytometry and collaborates with researchers to develop bespoke analysis pathways. Ancillary technologies such as custom antibody metal-labelling services allow for the provision of capabilities that allow access to a much wider library of targets. The platform provides infrastructure for the quality control of cell therapy products manufactured by the ATMP GMP unit before releasing of product for clinical trials. The platform provides professional support for cell sorting and acquisition as well as analysis of high content cytometric data. A comprehensive portfolio of basic and advanced training courses and consulting services support our investigators with delivering research programmes.
The platform has a strategic partnership with Fluidigm which utilises the facility as its European demonstration laboratory; the platform provides advanced training and acts as a reference site for Fluidigm.
Research impact
- To understand the role of IL-17 and IL-17 blocking therapy in Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA), two related common types of inflammation arthritis, we examined immune cell responses to secukinumab in the treatment for psoriasis.
- The phenotypic and functional features of the circulatory T-cell compartment in atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis was investigated using the increased dimensionality of mass cytometry, which is able to detect more than 50 different heavy metal isotopes simultaneously. The phenotypic and functional features of circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of patients with AD, patients with psoriasis, and healthy donors were investigated, identifying mucosal-associated invariant T cells as of potential pathogenic relevance for skin inflammation (the BIODIP project).
- The COVID-IP project was established to better understand the immune phenotype in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
References:
- Evans HG. et al. In vivo activated monocytes from the site of inflammation in humans specifically promote Th17 responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. (2009) 106: 6232-7.
- Menon B. et al. IL-17+CD8+ T-cells are enriched in the joints of patients with psoriatic arthritis and correlate with disease activity and joint damage progression. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2014) 66:1272-81.
