Research

Wellcome Trust funded project to develop a synthetic bioactivated membrane dressing

Scarring impacts many patients, for example by reducing movement of the limbs or even making people blind. Scars are also often unsightly sometimes causing psychological problems. When wounds such as burns are treated, the main priority is to stop dehydration and infection; no dressings are designed to actively prevent scar formation. We have invented membrane technologies that can incorporate cells and anti-scarring compounds. We have shown that Decorin, an anti-scarring molecule can stop scar formation. In this project, we are designing, manufacturing and clinically testing the new anti-scarring dressings. The resulting medical product will help to improve the quality of life of many patients who have been injured in a way that would normally result in scarring. If this new dressing is successful in treating burns it could also be used in many other applications where scarring is a problem. 

Medical Research Council funded project to develop a synthetic biomembrane dressing that prevents corneal scarring

Injuries caused by trauma, infections and inflammation to the surface of the eye can cause scarring that 'clouds' the transparent window of the eye called the cornea, interfering with vision and is sight-threatening. 'Corneal Blindness' affects millions of people and the World Health Organisation have made curing the problem a priority area programme to prevent world-wide blindness. The current treatment for damaged eyes caused by infection is to treat with antibiotic agents followed by strategies to promote healing. There are no treatments to control scar formation. We are developing a synthetic, optically-transparent, anti-scarring eye-drop dressing suitable for the management of patients world-wide at risk of corneal scarring following injury. By promoting corneal healing, without scarring, we will improve patient visual outcomes.

Cell Biology of Neurodegeneration

The Tuxworth lab is interested in understanding the cell biological processes in the nervous system that regulate neurodevelopment and lead to neurodegeneration when disrupted. We have two themes in the laboratory. First, we study early-onset inherited forms of neurodegeneration, including Batten disease, to ask fundamental questions about the role of lysosomes in the normal development and maintenance of health of the nervous system. Secondly, we are examining the importance of the DNA damage response in late-onset neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Read more about Cell Biology of Neurodegeneration Research.

Dementia

Dementia is a progressive loss of memory, intellect and personality that affects almost 1 million people in the UK. The most prevalent form of Dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. As there are no early diagnostic methods and no disease modifying therapy the personal, social and economic burden of dementia is set to increase rapidly in the ageing population.

The main aim of the dementia researchers is to decipher the cellular and molecular mechanisms in the brain that lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Our working hypothesis, the cell cycle theory of Alzheimer’s disease, allowed us to develop novel biomarkers for the disease and screen for novel disease modifying drugs.

Read more about our Dementia Research.

EQUATOR - Shedding light on uveitis

Developmental and Structural Plasticity

The NeuroDevelopment Lab investigates structural plasticity in the central nervous system (CNS), in health, in development, regeneration and repair. We use the fruit-fly Drosophila for its powerful genetics and in vivo neurobiology spanning from genes, to cells, circuits and behaviour. We collaborate with scientists using mammals to test and expedite Drosophila findings to the mammalian context. We discover gene networks, fundamental principles and in vivo processes with relevance for human brain health & disease.

Read more about our Developmental and Structural Plasticity Research.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease in which damage to the optic nerve leads to the progressive, irreversible death of retinal cells and vision loss. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. The Glaucoma research group aims to fast track the translation of discoveries from the University of Birmingham research laboratories to improve outcomes for all patients with this debilitating degenerative condition.

Read more about our Glaucoma Research.

Inflammatory Eye Disease

The Academic Unit of Ophthalmology's major clinical and research interests are based on understanding how immune cells behave during inflammation on the surface of the eye (ocular surface disease) and in the eye (uveitis) that may lead to sight loss. Evaluation of these pathways underpins our translational research in the prevention and treatment of sight-threatening inflammation.

Read more about our Inflammatory Eye Disease Research.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition that leads to damage of the protective coating around nerve fibres and causes a wide range of symptoms including visual disturbances, problems with balance and spasticity. The condition affects around 100,000 individual in the UK, is prevalent in women and typically affects young adults between the ages of 20-40. Currently, there is no cure for MS but symptoms are managed by disease modifying drugs, which often reduce the frequency of relapses. Both genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to the disease.

Read more about our Multiple Sclerosis Research.

Ocular Trauma

Many delicate ocular structures are injured by trauma and disease. Through our research we aim to fast track the translation of discoveries from the University of Birmingham research laboratories to improve outcomes for all patients with ocular damage.

Read more about our Ocular Injury Research.

Oligodendrocytes & Myelin

Our researchers study the development and repair of myelin, the insulating material that ensures efficient nerve impulse conduction and supports the heath of the axon. Damage to myelin through traumatic injury and disease disturbs the coordinated flow of information throughout the CNS, and compromises the health of the underlying axons, leading to impairments in cognition and movement.

Read more about our Oligodendrocyte and Myelin Research.

Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) on the other hand, affects more than 2.5 million people worldwide, with approximately 130,000 new cases each year. SCI can lead to devastating long-term effects and potential therapies only help reduce pain for affected individuals.

Read more about our Spinal Cord Injury Research.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in the first 4 decades of life and its incidence continues to rise across all age groups. Trauma to the brain triggers a complex and rapidly evolving interplay of inflammatory, dysmetabolic, degenerative and compensatory mechanisms that determine the fate of the injured tissue. The understanding of these cellular responses and their interconnection with genetic, systemic, psychological and environmental factors is key the development of neuroprotective treatments.

Read more about our Traumatic Brain Injury Research.

Stem Cells in CNS Injury

Our researchers are evaluating the use of mesenchymal stem cells and dental pulp stem cells for neural and ocular repair. The researchers are based across the University of Birmingham, with a common interest in all aspects of stem cells, tissue engineering, repair and regeneration and the development of their therapeutic and biotechnological potential.

Read more about our Stem Cells in CNS Injury Research.

Our researchers work on a variety of projects, all within our shared research vision.

Researcher	Projects
Dr Zubair Ahmed	Mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell death in direct and indirect traumatic optic neuropathy FIGHT FOR SIGHT Role of caspase-2 in ocular neuroprotection and axon regeneration Novel genes in CNS axon regeneration Role of AMIGO3 in Multiple Sclerosis Dissolution of scarring in the CNS The role of mTOR/Smad/BMP4 pathway in axon regeneration The role of PEDF in CNS neuroprotection and axon regeneration
Professor Tony Belli	Mechanism of action of Tranexamic Acid in isolated traumatic brain injury NIHR Development of a synthetic bioactivated membrane dressing The Wellcome Trust SRMRC - Traumatic Brain Injury NIHR Clinical Randomisation of an Antifibrinolytic in Significant Head Injury Trial (CRASH-3) MRC and NIHR HTA Brain injury and trauma monitoring using advanced photonics (ETN) European Commission A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of a two-week course of dexamethasone for adult patients with a symptomatic Chronic Subdural Haematoma (Dex-CSDH trial) NIHR HTA Biomembranes for Trauma Care Welcome-NIHR (HIC) Randomised Evaluation of Surgery with Craniectomy for patients Undergoing Evacuation of Acute Subdural Haematoma (RESCUE-ASDH) NIHR HTA Surface patterning of implantable medical devices with anti-microbial peptides MRC CiC TBI and MicroRNA - point of care diagnostic test SBRI Healthcare
Dr John Curnow	Antigen specific T cells responses in early Multiple Sclerosis The role of B cells in Multiple Sclerosis Immune responses to HSV-1 in Herpes simplex keratitis Stratification of uveitis using cellular and molecular immune pathway biomarkers
Mr Alastair Denniston	Development of a core outcome set in sight-threatening uveitis Validation of Optical Coherence Tomography as an objective measure of disease activity in uveitis Evaluation of novel imaging endpoints in systemic diseases Establishing a national biobank and registry for Birdshot Chorioretinopathy Longitudinal study of Birdshot Chorioretinopathy Longitudinal study of Punctate Inner Choroidopathy Immunophenotyping in uveitis Lead for uveitic syndromes in the 100 000 genome project Ophthalmology ‘big data’ projects including diabetes and uveitis national datasets
Dr Valentina Di Pietro	MicroRNAs in Saliva: Potential Biomarkers of Traumatic Brain Injury MNTF Validation of Neurobioreactor accelerator as a new ex vivo stretch injury model MNTF TBI and MicroRNA - point of care diagnostic test SBRI Healthcare Targets identification of differentially expressed microRNAs after TBI MicroRNAs expression in concussion TBI-strip: a novel point-of-injury device to diagnose TBI (collaboration with Prof OJ Guy, Centre for Nanohealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University and Biovici diagnostic Ltd) Computational modelling of multiple microRNA biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of TBI (collaboration with Prof J Knowles, Professor of Natural Computation, School of Computer Science, UoB) Mitochondrial dynamics after TBI Differences in  metabolism of  mild and severe TBI in a rat weight drop acceleration model (collaboration with Prof B Tavazzi, Catholic University of Rome and Prof G Lazzarino University of Catania) Neurobioreactor as novel in vitro model of TBI (collaboration with Prof A Campbell Ritchie, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham) Micro-optofluidic engineered device technology (MEDtech) for timely assessment of TBI (collaboration with Dr P Goldberg Oppenheimer, School of Chemical Engineering, UoB)
Dr Daniel Fulton	Optogenetics based discovery of new pathways towards stem-cell mediated myelin repair Marie Curie Individual Fellowship Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of glutamate receptors: pathways towards protection from trauma-related brain injury Wellcome Trust ISSF Pump Priming Grant EUROPEAN COMMISSION H2020_MSCA-IFEF_STEMZAP
Dr Alicia Hidalgo	Our projects investigate multiple aspects of structural plasticity, from the following molecular-genetic perspective: Neurotrophin family ligands and their receptor system in Drosophila Toll family receptor function in the central nervous system Glial gene networks driving CNS repair and regeneration
Dr Lisa Hill	Validation of Neurobioreactor accelerator as a new ex vivo stretch injury model MNTF Delivering polarised macrophages in hydrogels for optimising ocular surface regeneration and repair THE WELLCOME TRUST Development of a synthetic flowable dressing that prevents corneal scarring MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
Dr Kwang Chear Lee	Wellcome trust Biomembrane Project Birmingham Objective Scar Scale study (BOSS) Gellan Contact Study
Professor Ferenc Mueller	FP7_ERC_ONCOTREAT Commission of the European Communities Contribution of promoter associated histone modifications to the developmental gene expression programme at zygotic genome activation and embryogenesis BBSRC H2020_ITN_ZENCODE EUROPEAN COMMISSION Identifying non-coding mutations in early-onset diabetes MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL H2020_ERC_SCORA EUROPEAN COMMISSION The core promoter: an unexplored regulatory level of transcription during vertebrate development THE WELLCOME TRUST The causes and consequences of sperm mediated non-genetic inheritance HUMAN FRONTIER SCIENCE PROGRAMME ORGANISATION Collaborative Research on the Epigenetic Effects of to Bisphenol A, Bisphenol S and Bisphenol F as Potential Endocrine Disrupting Environmental Pollutants in Zebrafish Embryos as Alternative Models with the Focus on 3Rs-ConceptBRITISH COUNCIL H2020_COLLAB_NEURAM_(CO-ORDINATOR) EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Dr Zsuzsa Nagy	Development of a novel repurposed drug treatment for neurodegeneration and diabetes in Wolfram syndrome Medical Research Council Supporting mathematical algorithms for ZSR737/818 CYTOX LTD Molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurodegeneration Biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease mTOR pathway Therapeutic target validation for neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr Saeeha Rauz	Ocular surface, scarring, regeneration and biomaterials Uveitis Infections, immunity and Microbiome
Professor Attila Sik	H2020_COLLAB_NEURAM_(CO-ORDINATOR) EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Dr Richard Tuxworth	The importance of lysosomal membrane proteins for neural development and nervous system health The role of the DNA damage response in neurodegeneration
Dr Richard Williams	Understanding the underlying mechanism of heterotopic ossification (ORUK). Lead on chemical imaging of human soft-hard tissue samples Developing a bioactive anti-scarring wound dressing (WT and DoH). Work on porting the lab-based manufacturing method into GMP grade process