Publications by authors named "K Affleck"

Current rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatments do not restore immune tolerance. Investigating dendritic cell (DC) populations in human synovial tissue (ST) may reveal pathways to reinstate tolerance in RA. Using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics of ST biopsies, as well as co-culture systems, we identified condition- and niche-specific DC clusters with distinct functions.

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Article Synopsis
  • Food allergies are becoming more common, so it's crucial for hospitals to effectively identify and manage them to ensure patient safety.
  • A study involved interviews and surveys with hospital patients who have food allergies to assess their understanding and expectations regarding hospital food services.
  • Key findings revealed that while patients felt comfortable declaring their allergies and were satisfied with hospital food, further research is needed to pinpoint what factors are most important to them in their meals.
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Introduction: The interleukin-33/interleukin-1 receptor-like-1 (IL-33/IL1RL1) signalling pathway is implicated in asthma pathogenesis, with IL1RL1 nonsynonymous genetic polymorphisms associated with disease risk. We aimed to determine these variants' effect on IL1RL1 signalling induced by different IL33 isoforms thought to be elevated in the asthmatic airway.

Method: In a project funded by GSK plc, which has developed an IL-33 receptor inhibitor for asthma treatment, human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells expressing secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) driven by a nuclear factor kappa-beta (NF-κB) promoter, were transiently transfected with IL1RL1, containing one of four extracellular and Toll/interleukin 1 receptor (TIR) domain haplotypes.

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MCs are tissue-resident immune cells that strategically reside in barrier organs and respond effectively to a wide range of stimuli, such as IL-33, a mediator released upon epithelial damage. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) accumulates at sites of tissue injury and is known to modulate MC activities. This study investigated how an inflammatory tissue environment rich in IL-33 modulates the ATP-mediated activation of MCs.

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