Head
Professor P Mark Hogarth, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellows
Dr Bruce Wines, PhD
Dr Maree Powell, PhD
Dr Pat Mottram, PhD
Dr Peck Szee Tan, PhD
Dr Angela Cendron, PhD
Research Assistant
Mr Soong Ling, BSc(Hons)
Ms Halina Trist, BSc
Ms Lee-Ann Crooks,BSc(Hons)
Ms Kerry Ko, B Biomed, BSc(Hons)
PhD Student
Mr Nicholas van de Velde, BSc(Hons)|
Research Overview
Current treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, bleeding disorders (thrombocytopenia), kidney inflammation (nephritis) and allergies, aim to alleviate symptoms rather than attack the cause of disease. The Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Inflammatory Diseases Laboratory is using some of the most sophisticated modern technologies available to track down some of the earliest events in these destructive autoimmune diseases and design treatments, such as new drugs, monoclonal antibodies and engineered receptors that treat the earliest phases of inflammation rather than treat the damaging chronic effects. Our approaches use X-ray crystallography, genes arrays, proteomics and genetically engineered mice to study disease processes and develop new drugs.
Of particular interest are the Fc receptors which activate inflammatory cells, these include IgG Fc receptors, IgE and IgA Fc receptors. This work has been a major focus of the laboratory and we have made a number of major discoveries that have formed the basis of the development of new treatments which have potent effects in animal models and some of which are poised to enter human clinical trials.
As a result of this work, we have initiated new projects that use our knowledge of the immune system to develop new treatments that target antibodies or immune killer/inflammatory cells to treat diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or chronic infection.
Research Objectives
• Understanding how antibodies interact with Fc receptors and drive inflammatory cell activation. This is the basis of protection in normal immunity or tissue destruction in some autoimmune diseases.
• Role of FcγRIIa in antibody mediated tissue destruction in autoimmunity.
We will continue to develop the analysis of autoimmune disease in the human FcγRIIa transgenic mice and in human inflammatory tissue. Of major importance is understanding the mechanism of disease development over time in this unique model of human disease
• FcαRI, IgA and Pathogen Evasion
Define how FcαRI IgA receptor regulates immune responses and protects the mucosal surface and how bacteria attempt to overcome this defence
• Engineering of therapeutic anti-cancer monoclonal antibodies
How can we harness the “potent” activating potential of FcR to develop new cancer treatments with antibodiesω
Research Highlights
• First structure of FcγRIIa:IgG complex and its implication in in activation/inhibition of immunity
• In collaboration with Prof John Fraser at the University of Auckland and Dr Paul Ramsland in the Structural Immunology Laboratory, we have produced the first structure of IgA and S.aureus virulence factor SSL7. This work has resulted in a patent
• Analysis of 34,000 unique genes with Roche Biosciences and identified several new candidates as major “drivers” of autoimmune responses.