(MRC DTP) How does lung inflammation impact the skin immune system?

It is becoming increasingly clear that infectious agents play a role in the onset of many inflammatory diseases. Psoriasis is a common, chronic inflammatory skin disease, with susceptibility caused by both genetic and environmental factors, and disease being driven by T cells and the cytokines IL-23 and IL-17. There is a strong link between the onset of a sub-type of psoriasis, and prior streptococcal throat infection, that has been appreciated for over a century [1-3]. More recent studies have also shown that psoriasis patients have an increased risk of being hospitalized for respiratory tract infections [4], and that throat infections exacerbate skin inflammation in psoriatic individuals [5]. However, the mechanisms linking respiratory tract infections and inflammatory skin disease are not well understood.

The aim of this project is to examine the effects of respiratory tract infections on psoriasis-like skin inflammation and to determine mechanisms linking inflammation at these sites. Murine models of infection and psoriasis will be used to firstly determine the type of infection, and the window of opportunity linking lung infection and the induction of skin inflammation. Secondly, the mechanisms involved in linking lung infections and skin inflammation will be determined using flow cytometry, cytometric bead arrays and next generation sequencing. Finally, the impact of manipulating these mechanisms on skin inflammation will be measured to determine the potential for therapeutic intervention.

This project has implications for inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, as it has the capacity to identify mechanisms underlying disease susceptibility and linking respiratory tract infections to skin inflammation.

The project will use cutting edge techniques such as, multi-colour flow cytometry, next generation sequencing, histology and microscopy and the student will have access to the world class core facilities here at the University of Manchester, as well as the opportunity to interact with our industrial partners.

The successful candidate will be part of the Saunders and Hussell labs, in the world class Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH). They will benefit from access to world-class core facilities and multi-disciplinary expertise, spanning mucosal immunology, infection and microbiology.

http://www.mccir.ls.manchester.ac.uk/research/skininflammation/
http://www.mig.ls.manchester.ac.uk/people/amysaunders/
https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/researchers/tracy-hussell(27b4ee72-402f-4067-8cfb-93b5fd8e9695)/publications.html
http://www.mig.ls.manchester.ac.uk/people/tracyhussell/