SRBF Front Page	Cytokines and Inflammation Group
Associated Research  Groups  Brain Injury Research Clinical Neuroscience	The Cytokines and Inflammation Group (CIG) is principally involved in identifying the role that cytokines and other mediators of inflammation play in disease and pathological states. Particular interests include the relationship between tissue cytokine expression and associated systemic responses. Our studies have involved collaborations with a number of clinical and experimental biology groups, both locally and internationally. Current activity is focused in the area of stroke, head injury and dementia. Clinical studies. CIG works to good clinical practice (GCP) standards and has developed protocols for collection and analysis of blood and plasma samples for a number of stroke and subarachnoid haemorrhage studies. It has established assays for measurement of inflammatory mediators that may be important in pathophysiological mechanisms, or may act as markers, of disease activity. These assays also identify the pharmacokinetics and actions of potential therapeutic agents. Similar methods have been employed to identify the role of inflammation in development and treatment of dementia. While principally focused around inflammatory mediators, a current project is developing a multiplex assay targeted at identifying risk of pre-eclampsia. Method Development Key to the activities of this group has been the development of assays for molecules that are not routinely measured in standard clinical practice. We develop immunoassays in-house for measurement of inflammatory markers, particularly cytokines. Standard immunoassays are complemented by methods based on Luminex technology, allowing assay of multiple analytes (multiplexing) within single samples. Development focuses on sensitive, specific and well-standardised assays that provide accurate quantitation of molecules in complex biological samples. We have also developed our own sensitive methods for quantifying the cytokine gene expression and have used these for determining gene expression in stroke patients. Selected References Follow Link
Laboratory Staff & Students Steve Hopkins Margaret Hoadley Karen Illingworth Sylvia Scarth Alicia Requena-Jimenez Navneet Singh