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Cambridge Immunology Network

 

Research

Interleukins play a critical role in regulating antibody production, inflammation and haematopoiesis. Dysregulation of these factors can lead to the manifestation of diseases such as asthma, autoimmunity and leukaemia. Our goal is to decipher how these interleukins interact in vivo during haematopoiesis and immune responses providing insight into basic immuno-regulatory mechanisms and identification of novel pathways for therapy.

We are focussed on the molecular regulation of type-2 immune responses including parasite infections and allergic asthma, which are characterised by the cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13.

Recently we have focussed on the cells and molecules that initiate the type-2 response. We have shown that IL-25 and IL-33 play important roles in the up-regulation of type-2 immunity, and in combination with the generation of IL-13-reporter mice we have discovered a novel innate lymphoid cell that we termed the nuocyte. These type-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) play critical roles in protective immunity to helminth parasite infection, and allergy and asthma.

 

 

Publications

Key publications: 

Wong, S.H., Walker, J.A., Jolin, H.E., Drynan, L.F., Hams, E., Camelo, A., Barlow, J.L., Neill, D.R., Panova, V., Koch, U., Radtke, F., Hardman, C.S., Hwang, Y.Y., Fallon, P.G. and McKenzie, A.N.J. . The transcription factor RORα is critical for nuocyte development. Nat. Immunol. 2012 13:229–236.

Barlow, J.L., Bellosi, A., Hardman, C.S., Drynan, L.F., Wong, S.H. and McKenzie, A.N.J. . Innate IL-13 producing nuocytes arise during allergic lung inflammation and contribute to airways hyperreactivity. J. Allergy and Clin. Immunol. 2012 129(1):216-227.

Chang YJ, Kim HY, Albacker LA, Baumgarth N, McKenzie ANJ, Smith DE, Dekruyff RH, and Umetsu DT,. Innate lymphoid cells mediate influenza-induced airway hyper-reactivity independently of adaptive immunity. Nat Immunol. 2011 May 29;12(7):631-8

Alves-Filho JC, Sônego F, Souto FO, Freitas A, Verri WA, Jr., Auxiliadora-Martins M, Basile-Filho A, McKenzie ANJ, Xu D, Cunha FQ, and Liew FY. Interleukin-33 attenuates sepsis by enhancing neutrophil influx to the site of infection. Nat Med. 2010 16(6):708–12.

Barlow, J.L., Drynan, L.F., Hewett, D.R., Holmes, L.R., Lorenzo-Abalde, S., Lane, A.L., Jolin, H.E., Pannell, R., Middleton, A.J., Wong, S-H, Warren, A.J., Wainscoat J.S., Jacqueline Boultwood, J. and McKenzie, A.N.J. . A p53-dependent mechanism underlies macrocytic anemia in a mouse model of human 5q syndrome. Nat. Medicine. 2010 16: 59 - 66.

Neill DR, Wong, S-H, Bellosi A, Flynn RJ, Daly M, Langford TKA, Bucks C, Kane CM, Fallon PG, Pannell R, Jolin HE, and McKenzie ANJ, . Nuocytes represent a new innate effector leukocyte that mediates type-2 immunity. Nature 2010. 464(7293):1367–70.

Dr Andrew  McKenzie
Takes PhD students
Available for consultancy

Affiliations

Departments and institutes: 
Person keywords: 
immunohistochemistry
cytokine/interleukin/chemokine receptors
mass spectrometry
lectins
microscopy
nuocytes
animal models
fluorescence microscopy
confocal microscopy
transgenics
FACS
knockouts
interleukin
cytokines
inflammation