The research activities of Molecular Immunology and Inflammation have a broad impact, not only in normal immunity, but also in autoimmunity, vaccines, infection, cancer and stroke.

The key questions for the program are why does the immune system attack normal cells it should ignore in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, but in cancer ignores the cells it should attack, and how is it that infectious agents avoid immune destruction.

The surface of white blood cells is where most immune and inflammatory responses are initiated or stopped. A great deal of our research effort examines proteins of the cell surface – how these receptors recognise other cells, immune hormones or antibodies (the immune system’s magic bullets) and how a recognition event initiates or regulates responses.

Using highly sophisticated technologies (X-ray crystallography, gene arrays, genetically modified animals, proteomics, drug design and genetic engineering), the scientists and clinicians have a multidisciplinary approach to studying immunity in mouse and human. This work underpins our attempts to manipulate the immune system to treat disease by improving vaccines, attacking cancers, switching off inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or stroke. Through this work we are generating new drugs and genetically engineered proteins and antibodies as potential therapeutics to create “better medicines sooner for everyone”.

Research Objectives

• Understanding and manipulating the central and the mucosal immune systems for the development of new treatments for cancer, infection and diseases of the immune system; especially rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
• Understanding the function of cell surface molecules on white blood cells and platelets and how they relate to disease, especially through the use of:
  • Monoclonal antibodies as research reagents and as therapeutic agents
  • Genetics to define cell surface molecule expression in health and disease
  • Structure and function studies of cell surface molecules to engineer biological therapeutics and design new drugs
• Develop treatments or cures for early intervention in rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, stroke and infection
• Develop major collaborative participation in research, clinical and commercial consortia