IFN-lambda in neutrophil-mediated pathology in rheumatic diseases
Research type
Research Study
Full title
IFN-lambda: novel biologics for controlling neutrophil-mediated pathology in rheumatic diseases?
IRAS ID
186753
Contact name
Raashid Luqmani
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 7 months, 29 days
Research summary
Neutrophils are important cells involved in starting and maintaining immune responses in autoimmune diseases including systemic vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The neutrophils live longer than normal, express more genes and have increased ability to produce damaging chemicals such as reactive oxygen species, and release protein nets to trap cells and other materials. We want to find out how neutrophils change and to identify which molecules cause this. Interferons are proteins made by the body and usually released when a person develops an infection; they have also been shown to be involved in autoimmune conditions. Interferon lambda (one of the types of interferon responsible for fighting viral infections) can reduce neutrophil activity and treat arthritis in animals which have been given an experimental form of arthritis. We plan to look at the mechanisms by which interferon lambda works on neutrophils. We will measure gene expression of different proteins in neutrophils in health and in disease. We will give interferon-lambda to animals developing experimental arthritis to see if it can prevent disease from worsening. In another experimental animal model of arthritis, which can only develop if neutrophils are involved, we will look at the effects of interferon-lambda. We can look at differences in the number of receptors for interferon lambda present on neutrophils from healthy donors compared with patients with early RA and two forms of vasculitis (giant cell arteritis [GCA] and granulomatosis with polyangiitis [GPA]).expression and look at how the addition of interferon lambda affects the movement and behaviour of neutrophils in a test tube.
The current application to the ethics committee is only in relation to work on humans. We already have approval for work on animals (project licence PPL70/7677).REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0313
Date of REC Opinion
30 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion