Kevin Breen

I am a speciality registrar in renal medicine and Clinical Research Training Fellow with the Translational Research Immunology Group (TRIG). My research is currently focussed on better understanding the immune mechanisms of regulatory T-cell therapy in kidney transplantation. This project is funded by MRC and Kidney Research UK.

Regulatory T-cell (Treg) therapy is a promising alternative to conventional immunosuppressive drugs used in kidney transplantation and their associated toxicities. Treg therapy is currently being studied as part of a clinical trial in Oxford called the TWO Study ((Transplant Without Over-Immunosuppression). Under the supervision of Prof Fadi Issa and Prof Joanna Hester, the aims of my research are to use patient samples from the TWO Study to better understand how Tregs exert their tolerogenic actions. In particular, I aim to identify and characterise various clinically relevant donor-specific T cell subsets and, by combining T cell receptor (TCR)-sequencing techniques with cutting edge spatial transcriptomic platforms, track the dynamics of these donor-specific clones longitudinally in the blood and the transplant tissue. By generating a richer map of Treg-mediated tolerance and its contrast with rejection, this research has the potential to identify pathways for biomarkers and in the future more targeted cell therapies in transplantation.

Alongside my research and clinical work, I am the kidney representative for British Transplant Physician Trainees (BTPT) Society. I am also actively involved with teaching within the University and NHS Trust and am always very happy to be contacted by students or other researchers about future projects or collaboration ideas.