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DPHIL START DATE

October 2024

PROJECT TITLE                         

Evaluating the therapeutic potential of regulatory B cells in transplantation

SUPERVISORS

Miss Sushma Shankar and Professor Fadi Issa


Patrick Jull

MB BChir, MA(Cantab), MRCS


DPhil student & Clinical Research Fellow in Transplant Surgery

I attained my medical degree from the University of Cambridge where I completed an intercalated degree within the Goodfellow lab investigating cell attachment factors for caliciviruses. Following this I continued my clinical training and joined the Thames Valley deanery as a higher surgical trainee in General Surgery in 2021. During my time as a transplant registrar, I developed an interest in the improvement of outcomes post renal transplantation, particularly the potential role of regulatory B cells in reducing immunosuppressive burden. To contribute to research in this area I have taken a pause in my surgical training, to join the Translational Research Immunology Group (TRIG) group as a Clinical Research Fellow in Transplant Surgery and study for a DPhil.

I am currently a first year DPhil student within the TRIG supervised by Miss Shankar and Professor Issa. I will focus on the therapeutic potential of regulatory B cells within transplantation. Transplantation conveys enormous benefits to recipients and it would not be possible without the immunosuppressive regimes that are used. However, it comes at a cost with increased rates of infection and malignancy. Various strategies are being investigated to reduce immunosuppressive burden and regulatory B cells have the potential to contribute to this. They are a rare immune cell group that has been shown to reduce immune responses in animal transplant models as well as their signals being identified in operationally tolerant transplant recipients. Understanding how these cells develop immunoregulatory properties and defining their role in transplant rejection may lead to the development of therapies that can reduce the impact of immunosuppression on transplant patients.

Publications

Expanding Human Breg for Cellular Therapy in Transplantation: Time for Translation

McNee, Adam et al, (2024), Transplantation

Research Highlights

Alkhateeb, Ahmed et al, (2024), Transplantation