Publications by authors named "H Mellor"

Article Synopsis
  • During inflammation, increased vascular permeability can lead to harmful effects, especially in inflamed lungs, where microvascular leakage occurs.
  • Formylated peptides, which trigger neutrophil activation through FPR1, play a role in regulating this vascular leakage, with research identifying ARAP3 as a protective factor against excessive permeability.
  • Studies showed that ARAP3 deficiency in endothelial and immune cells led to increased microvascular leakage and neutrophil activity, hinting at its significance in conditions with high levels of formylated peptides, such as severe influenza.
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The second messenger, cAMP has potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory actions. These have been attributed, in part, to the ability of cAMP-induced signals to interfere with the function of the proinflammatory transcription factor Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB). However, the mechanisms underlying the modulation of NF-κB activity by cAMP remain unclear.

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The endothelial barrier is a tightly regulated gateway in the transport of material between circulation and the tissues. Inflammatory mediators such as thrombin are able to open paracellular spaces in the endothelial monolayer to allow the extravasation of plasma proteins and leukocytes. Here we show that the protein SLIT-ROBO Rho GTPase-activating protein 2 (srGAP2) plays a critical role in regulating the extent of thrombin-mediated opening.

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Background: Glomerular endothelial cell (GEnC) fenestrations are recognized as an essential component of the glomerular filtration barrier, yet little is known about how they are regulated and their role in disease.

Methods: We comprehensively characterized GEnC fenestral and functional renal filtration changes including measurement of glomerular and GFR in diabetic mice (BTBR ). We also examined and compared human samples.

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The treatment response to anti-angiogenic agents varies among cancer patients and predictive biomarkers are needed to identify patients with resistant cancer or guide the choice of anti-angiogenic treatment. We present "the Cancer Angiogenesis Co-Culture (CACC) assay", an in vitro Functional Precision Medicine assay which enables the study of tumouroid induced angiogenesis. This assay can quantify the ability of a patient-derived tumouroid to induce vascularization by measuring the induction of tube formation in a co-culture of vascular cells and tumoroids established from the primary colorectal tumour or a metastasis.

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