William James
With Dr Sally Cowley, investigating the biology of human tissue macrophages in health and disease
Macrophages, such as the microglia of the brain, play essential homeostatic, remodelling, recycling and defence functions in all the tissues of the body. When they are overwhelmed by specialized pathogens such as HIV-1, or chronic accumulations of debris such as amyloids, notably in neurodegenerative disease, their inflammatory response can result in serious tissue damage. In order to provide a physiologically authentic, yet genetically tractable model for the study of human tissue macrophages, we have developed a technology platform, based on human pluripotent stem cells, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and directed differentiation. As a graduate research student in our laboratory, you will use these methods to investigate the function of defined candidate genes in these pathological processes.
Recent publications
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Proactive vaccination using multiviral Quartet Nanocages to elicit broad anti-coronavirus responses.
Journal article
Hills RA. et al, (2024), Nat Nanotechnol
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Hypoxia dampens innate immune signalling at early time points and increases Zika virus RNA levels in iPSC-derived macrophages.
Journal article
Schilling M. et al, (2023), J Gen Virol, 104
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Effective early antiretroviral therapy in perinatal-HIV infection reduces subsequent plasma inflammatory profile.
Journal article
Nguyen AN. et al, (2023), Pediatr Res
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Zika virus-induces metabolic alterations in fetal neuronal progenitors that could influence in neurodevelopment during early pregnancy.
Journal article
Gilbert-Jaramillo J. et al, (2023), Biol Open, 12
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Broadly neutralizing aptamers to SARS-CoV-2: A diverse panel of modified DNA antiviral agents.
Journal article
Gelinas AD. et al, (2023), Mol Ther Nucleic Acids, 31, 370 - 382