Can Damage Associated Molecular Patterns be targeted to reduce susceptibility to infections in people with Chronic Kidney Disease?

Project Code

MRCIIAR26Ca Raby

Project Type

Wet lab

Research Theme

Infection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Repair

Project Summary Download

Summary

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are more vulnerable to infections, in part because their immune systems don’t function properly. One reason is that chronic inflammation in CKD leads to constant low-level activation of immune cells, which over time may exhaust the body’s defences. We have identified certain molecules called Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) that are released when tissues are damaged in CKD, and found that they trigger immune sensors to cause chronic inflammation. We now aim to evaluate whether blocking the activity of certain DAMPs could prevent immune exhaustion in CKD patients and help them fight infections better.

Lead Supervisor

Dr Anne-Catherine Raby

Lead Supervisor Email

rabya@cardiff.ac.uk

University Affiliation

Cardiff