Dr. Daniel Johnston

• Palsson-Mcdermott, E.M., Curtis, A.M., Goel, G., (...), Xavier, R.J., O'Neill, L.A.J. , Erratum: Pyruvate kinase m2 regulates hif-1α activity and IL-1β induction and is a critical determinant of the warburg effect in lps-activated macrophages (Cell Metabolism (2015) 21 (65-80)), 2015, - 347Miscellaneous, 2015, DOI
• Toll-like receptor signalling and the control of intestinal barrier function in, Methods in Molecular Biology, 2016, [Johnston, D.G.W. and Corr, S.C.]Book Chapter, 2016, URL
• Johnston DGW, Kearney J, ZasÅ'ona Z, Williams MA, O'Neill LAJ, Corr SC., MicroRNA-21 Limits Uptake of Listeria monocytogenes by Macrophages to Reduce the Intracellular Niche and Control Infection., Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 7, 2017, p201Journal Article, 2017, DOI , TARA - Full Text
• Daniel G.W. Johnston, Christoph A. Thaiss, Raul Cabrera-Rubio, Michelle A. Williams, Paul D. Cotter, Eran Elinav, Luke A.J. O'Neill, Sinéad C. Corr, Loss of microRNA-21 influences the gut microbiota causing reduced susceptibility in a murine model of colitis., Journal of Crohns and Colitis, 12, (7), 2018, p835-Journal Article, 2018, DOI , TARA - Full Text
• Hackett, E.E., Charles-Messance, H., O'Leary, S.M., Gleeson, L.E., Muñoz-Wolf, N., Case, S., Wedderburn, A., Johnston, D.G.W., Williams, M.A., Smyth, A., Ouimet, M., Moore, K.J., Lavelle, E.C., Corr, S.C., Gordon, S.V., Keane, J., Sheedy, F.J., Mycobacterium tuberculosis Limits Host Glycolysis and IL-1ß by Restriction of PFK-M via MicroRNA-21, Cell Reports, 30, (1), 2020, p124-136.e4Journal Article, 2020, DOI , TARA - Full Text
• Daniel Johnston, Alfred I. Tauber, Immunity: The Evolution of an Idea (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017), 328 pages. ISBN: 9780190651244. Hardcover: $78.00, Paperback $39.95., Politics and the Life Sciences, 38, (1), 2019, p103--105Journal Article, 2019, DOI
• Schulthess J, Pandey S, Capitani M, Rue-Albrecht KC, Arnold I, Franchini F, Chomka A, Ilott NE, Johnston DGW, Pires E, McCullagh J, Sansom SN, Powrie F, The Short Chain Fatty Acid Butyrate Imprints an Antimicrobial Program in Macrophages., Immunity, 2019Journal Article, 2019, DOI
• Daniel G.W. Johnston, Brian Kirby, Desmond J. Tobin, Hidradenitis suppurativa: A folliculotropic disease of innate immune barrier dysfunction?, Experimental Dermatology, 2021Journal Article, 2021, DOI
• Immunotherapy Advances, Oxford University Press, [eds.], 2021-2027Editorial Board, 2021
• Johnston, DGW and Hambly, R and Kearney, N and Tobin, DJ and Kirby, B, A preliminary study of soluble CD14 levels in the serum of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa as a marker of ?leaky gut? [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review], HRB Open Research, 5, (68), 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI
• Daniel Johnston, A role for microRNA-21 in the regulation of gastrointestinal health and disease, Trinity College Dublin, 2017Thesis, 2017, URL
• Johnston, Daniel G. W., Hambly, Roisin, Kearney, Niamh, Tobin, Desmond J., Kirby, Brian, Cell"free DNA is elevated in the serum of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, The Journal of Dermatology, 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI
• O'Donohoe, S and Leahy, C and Johnston, DGW and Tobin, DJ, ANALYSIS OF INFLAMMASOME PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN HIDRADENITIS SUPPURATIVA PATIENT TISSUE, IRISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, 191, (SUPPL 1), 2022, ppS13--S14Conference Paper, 2022
• Buruno, H and Johnston, D and Tobin, DJ, CAN THE COLLAPSE OF THE SCALP HAIR FOLLICLE PIGMENTARY UNIT WITH AGE (CANITIES) PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO HOW MELANOCYTE DEATH COULD BE INDUCED IN MELANOMA?, IRISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, 190, (SUPPL 4), 2021, ppS121--S122Conference Paper, 2021
• Johnston, Daniel and O'Neill, Luke and Corr, Sin{\'e, Su1893 Modulation of Intestinal Homeostasis and Microbial Activities by miR-21 in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Gastroenterology, 150, (4), 2016, pS581Journal Article, 2016
• Buruno, H and Johnston, D and Tobin, D, Can the collapse of the human scalp hair follicle pigmentary unit with age (canities) provide insight into how melanocyte death could be induced in melanoma?, BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, 187, (1), 2022, ppE37--E37Conference Paper, 2022
• H Buruno, D Johnston, D Tobin, Can the collapse of the human scalp hair follicle pigmentary unit with age (canities) provide insight into how melanocyte death could be induced in melanoma?, British Journal of Dermatology, British Association of Dermatologists 102nd Annual Meeting, Glasgow, UK, 05"07 July 2022, 187, (S1), Wiley, 2022, ppE37 - E37Poster, 2022, URL
• Downer EJ, Johnston DG, Lynch MA, Differential role of Dok1 and Dok2 in TLR2-induced inflammatory signaling in glia., Molecular and cellular neurosciences, 56C, 2013, p148-158Journal Article, 2013, DOI , TARA - Full Text
• Aviello G, Corr SC, Johnston DG, O'Neill LA, Fallon PG., MyD88 adaptor-like (Mal) regulates intestinal homeostasis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer in mice. , Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol., 306, 2014, pG769 - G778Journal Article, 2014, DOI , TARA - Full Text
• Palsson-McDermott EM, Curtis AM, Goel G, Lauterbach MA, Sheedy FJ, Gleeson LE, van den Bosch MW, Quinn SR, Domingo-Fernandez R, Johnson DG, Jiang J, Israelsen WJ, Keane J, Thomas C, Clish C, Vanden Heiden M, Xavier RJ, O'Neill LA, Pyruvate Kinase M2 Regulates Hif-1alfa Activity and IL-1ß Induction and Is a Critical Determinant of the Warburg Effect in LPS-Activated Macrophages., Cell metabolism, 21, (1), 2015, p65-80Journal Article, 2015, DOI , TARA - Full Text

My research interests lie at the barrier sites of the human body, most notably the skin and gut, where we interact with our external environment. His work focuses on molecular mechanisms that govern our immune system's interaction with the external agencies (such as the microbiome), and the diseases that result in the breakdown of these mechanisms. In particular, he is interested in: 1. The effect of microbial metabolites on innate immune cell function. 2. Aberrant immune function in inflammatory diseases of the gut (e.g. inflammatory bowel diseases or IBD) and the skin (e.g. hidradenitis suppurativa [HS] and psoriasis). To date, his work has been supported by a Trinity Research Doctoral Award, Enterprise Ireland, The City of Dublin Skin and Cancer Hospital Charity, The Health Research Board, the Fulbright Commission, UCD Foundation and the British Skin Foundation among others. Currently active projects include: A. An investigation in to the functional characterisation of newly discovered inflammasome mutations in HS patients (a collaboration with Dr Lynn Petukhova, Columbia University, USA) supported by The City of Dublin Skin and Cancer Hospital Charity and ... B. A Trinity Research Doctoral Award seeking to use in vitro and ex vivo models to understand HS pathogenesis, with a focus on the early events causing hair follicle breakdown and occlusion.

• Title

  Functional analysis of inflammasome protein mutations n the inflammatory skin disease hidradenitis suppurativa
  Summary

  Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a common and debilitating inflammatory skin disease with a prevalence between 1 and 4%. The aetiology of HS is poorly understood, and treatment options are limited 1 . Only 50% of patients respond to anti-TNF" biologics treatment, the current best-in-class therapy for the disease. Further research into the pathophysiology of HS is required in order to create more optimized and personalized treatment options. Combining the disciplines of human genetics, immunology and dermatology offers promise in the pursuit of this goal. One promising avenue of investigation towards understanding disease biology is the role of inflammasomes in HS. Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that play a central role in innate immunity. Inflammasome activation is crucial for host defense to pathogens, but overactivation has been reported in HS at the molecular level, but the reasons for this are unclear. Numerous case reports demonstrate that HS is a component of PAPA syndrome and a recent large epidemiological study found that HS is associated with Mediterranean Fever (MF), both implicating the pyrin inflammasome. This project aims this project is to functionally characterize these mutations using precise and sophisticated in vitro cell culture systems. This will help to uncover relevant disease biology, which will implicate cells and molecules in HS pathogenesis, and potentially point towards druggable pathways in this poorly studied condition.
  Funding Agency

  City of Dublin Skin and Cancer Hospital Charity
  Date From

  01/02/2023
  Date To

  01/02/2024
• Title

  Rational design of 3D organotypic in vitro models of the inflammatory skin disease Hidradenitis Suppuarativa
  Summary

  Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic skin disease which dramatically lessens patient quality of life and affects over 1% of Irish people. Sufferers of HS experience inflammation in areas where skin rubs together (e.g. under the arms) which is associated with painful boils which flare and burst, and ultimately scar. These symptoms lead to embarrassment and social exclusion that is psychologically devastating. Little is known about the causes of HS and there is only a single licensed treatment for the disease. A major obstacle in understanding HS and designing new treatments is the lack of an effective disease model for use by researchers. The goal of this project is to begin developing such a model for use in a controlled laboratory setting, reducing reliance on patient biopsies which are painful and invasive for patient donors and scarce and limiting for researchers. We propose to establish a skin cell culture system which we can modify to accurately model HS. We will use data obtained from our previous work to modify the system, skewing the skin cells to closely resemble those in HS. This project will allow for a larger study to further develop our model to understand and treat this disease.
  Funding Agency

  Enterprise Ireland
  Date From

  10/03/2023
• Title

  Rational design of 3D organotypic in vitro models of the inflammatory skin disease hidradenitis suppurativa towards a high risk, high reward application for an ERC Starting Grant.
  Summary

  Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic skin disease which dramatically lessens patient quality of life and affects over 1% of Irish people. Sufferers of HS experience inflammation in areas where skin rubs together (e.g. under the arms) which is associated with painful boils which flare and burst, and ultimately scar. These symptoms lead to embarrassment and social exclusion that is psychologically devastating. Little is known about the causes of HS and there is only a single licensed treatment for the disease. A major obstacle in understanding HS and designing new treatments is the lack of an effective disease model for use by researchers. The goal of this project is to begin developing such a model for use in a controlled laboratory setting, reducing reliance on patient biopsies which are painful and invasive for patient donors and scarce and limiting for researchers. We propose to establish a skin cell culture system which we can modify to accurately model HS. We will use data obtained from our previous work to modify the system, skewing the skin cells to closely resemble those in HS. This project will allow for a larger study to further develop our model to understand and treat this disease.
  Funding Agency

  TCD
  Date From

  05/04/2023
  Date To

  04/04/2024
• Title

  Developing an e-learning platform to retain the extraordinary educational value of our annually donated human brains and promote their clinical value through radiological integration.
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  TCD

Immunity and Infection (including Rheumatology & Inflammatory disease), Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology, Microbiology,

• TCD MED Award 2023
• Trinity Research Doctoral Award 2023
• Bryan Warren Junior Research Fellowship, Linacre College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom 2017
• UCD Career Development Fellowship 2020
• HRB Health Impact Fulbright Scholarship 2022
• AbbVie Newman Fellowship in Dermatology 2020
• Visiting Assistant Professorship, UCD Charles Insitute of Dermatology 2022

• British Society for Immunology, Oxford, GB
• Anatomical Society
• Irish Society for Immunology

• Irish Representative to the Young European Federation of Immunological Sciences 2020
• Consultancy: Curie.Bio VC, Boston, MA, USA 1st June
• Immunotherapy Advances Early Career Editorial Board Member 01 August