CYTOKINE RESEARCH
Prof Luke O'Neill
Luke O'Neill, PhD
Phone: + 353-1-896-2439
Fax: + 353 - 1 - 6772400
Email: laoneill@tcd.ie
Location: Room 1.11, Biotechnology Building |
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Research Interests
The major focus of the group is to provide a molecular understanding of innate immunity and inflammation. We are interested in receptors involved in innate immunity, such as Toll-like receptors and Nod-like receptors, and also signals activated, including NF-kappaB, IRF family transcription factors and MAP kinases. The role played by this system in inflammatory conditions such as sepsis syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis is also under investigation.
The interleukin-1 receptor / Toll-like receptor superfamily
The IL-1R/TLR superfamily comprises receptors for IL-1, IL-18 and microbial products such as LPS. This is a newly emerging area particularly in the case of the Toll-like receptor sub-family, whose members include TLR-2 (which responds to gram positive bacterial products) and TLR-4 (which responds to LPS from gram negative bacteria). This receptor superfamily would therefore appear to be determining for the host response to infection and the inflammatory response, and is likely to be a critical participant in inflammatory diseases. We are currently addressing the role of the MyD88 family of TIR domain-containing adapters, in particular MyD88, Maln and Tram. Particular issues being addressed include: (i) Structure/function analysis of Mal and MyD88 (ii) the role of Mal phosphorylation (iii) the role of Bruton's tyrosine kinase in TLR signaling (iv) Mal interactors such as IRAK-4 and IRAK-2 (v) the role of TLRs in the host response to Mycobacterium tuberculii and Helicobacter pylori (HRB Unit) and in malaria (vi) biochemical analysis of the 'TIRome', (vii) the interactions between TLRs and Nod-like receptors, (viii) the regulation of Tram by phosphorylation and myristolylation and (ix) searching for novel receptors and signals.
Research Personnel
Post-doctoral fellows:
Sinead Corr PhD
Emma Creagh PhD
Sarah Doyle PhD
Claire McCoy PhD
Anne McGettrick PhD
Eva Palsson McDermott PhD
Graduate Students:
Christine Becker BSc
Susan Carpenter BA (Mod)
Elizabeth Hennessy MSc
Elaine Kenny BA (Mod)
Caroline Murphy BA (Mod)
Andrea Scharfe MB BS
Fred Sheedy BSc
Research Support:
Kathy Banahan BSc
Cait Donoghue BSc
Financial Support
Science Foundation Ireland, Health Research Board, Enterprise Ireland, European Commission, Wellcome Trust
Major Collaborators
Kate Fitzgerald (UMass, USA)
Nick Gay (University of Cambridge)
Doug Golenbock (UMass, USA)
Adrian Hill (University of Oxford)
Joe Keane (TCD)
Dermot Kelleher (TCD)
Ashley Mansell (Monash University, Melbourne)
Paul Moynagh (NUIM)
Recent Publications by the Cytokine Research Group
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