Matrix biology and tissue repair

Our research aims to understand and manipulate the interface between extracellular matrix (ECM) and the diversity of cells in the craniofacial complex.

Our goals are:

• to elucidate and counteract pathological processes leading to tissue destruction in inflammation, cancer and ageing, and
• to create functional tissue through application of life science principles.

It has become clear that the ECM and its interaction with various cells are critically important to regulate inflammation, repair/regenerative processes and invasive cancers. Connective tissue cells control migration, survival and proliferation of endothelial and epithelial cells as well as recruitment and activation of antigen presenting cells that orchestrate the inflammatory response. Altered connective tissue cell responses are associated with many diseases, either because of direct involvement in the etiology or because of the fibrosis that accompanies the tissue damage. Experimental models have been established within the group to decipher cellular interactions regulating distinct aspects of the repair and disease process. These relate to inflammation, angiogenesis, re-epithelialisation, cancer stromal cell interactions and ECM changes occurring with ageing. The emphasis is to gain a molecular understanding of the role of post-translational modifications of proteins in organ system function, and how aberrant protein modifications or proteolysis contributes to pathogenesis.

Key areas of current activity are:

Osteoarthritis
The role of inflammation: metalloproteinases, transglutaminases, post-translational protein modification, biomarker development in association with the Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre

Gluten sensitivity
Autoimmune response to transglutaminase: mechanism of extraintestinal disease manifestation, particularly CNS disease, development of new diagnostic modalities in association with the Sheffield Institute of Gluten-Related Diseases

Cancer (prostate, breast and CNS) and inflammation
The role of metalloproteinases in cellular signalling, design of novel therapeutic approaches

Group Members

Academic staff:

Professor Daniel Aeschlimann
Dr Konrad Beck
Dr Sharon Dewitt (Cardiff Academic Fellow)
Dr Vera Knäuper
 
Research associates & PhD students:
 
Dr Magdalena Adamczyk (Arthritis Research Foundation Fellow)
Pascale Aeschlimann
Rhiannon Griffiths
Andreas Heil
Ana Mafalda dos Reis
Tim Wanger

Current/Recent Grants and Collaborations:

Our work has been support by the following organizations:

Our external collaborators:

Dr Yvonne Alexander, University of Manchester, UK
Dr Bela Anand-Apte, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA
Professor Charles Archer, Swansea University, UK
Dr Anne Collins & Professor Norman J. Maitland, YCR Cancer Research Unit, University of York, UK
Professor Julio Bai, Carlos Bonorino Udaondo Gastroenterology Hospital Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dr Manuela Basso, University of Trento, Italy
Dr Sabrina Boscolo, Dr Tarcisio Not & Dr Enrico Tongiorgi, University of Trieste, Italy
Dr Vladena Bauerová-Hlinková, Jozef Ševčík, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
Dr Alison Gartland, University of Sheffield, UK
Professor Marios Hadjivassiliou, Dr Nigel Hoggard, Professor David Sanders, & Professor Nicola Woodroofe, Royal Hallamshire Hospital/Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
Dr Martin Hils & Dr Ralf Pasternack, Zedira, Darmstadt, Germany
Professor Kyotaka Hitomi, Nagoya University, Japan
Dr Joanna-Marie Howes & Professor Richard Farndale, University of Cambridge, UK
Dr Alexandra Johnson & Dr John Lawson, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Professor Katri Kaukinen, Professor Markku Mäki & Professor Timo Reunala, University of Tampere, Finland
Professor Jeffrey Keillor, University of Ottawa, Canada
Dr Gunnar Kleinau & Dr Heike Biebermann, IEPE, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Professor Mats Paulsson, Dr Miklos Sardy, & Dr Neil Smyth, University of Cologne, Germany
Professor Boris Pokusaev, Moscow State University of Environmental Engineering, Russia
Dr Patricia Rousselle, CNRS, IBCP Lyon, France
Professor Ludvig Sollid & Dr Jorunn Stamnaes, University of Oslo, Norway
Dr Reidun Stenberg, University of Örebro, Sweden
Professor Zsuzsa Szondy, University of Debrecen, Hungary