May 1st: AIMS-RN/MS Ieland/IRC Research Symposium in TCD.
Please click here to download the Speaker schedule and other details for the event.
May 1st: AIMS-RN/MS Ireland/IRC Research Symposium TCD
News
RCSI researchers discover new way to halt excessive inflammation
Please click here to download the article: Mitochondrial arginase-2 is essential for IL-10 metabolic reprogramming of inflammatory macrophages.
(The article is in PDF format. You may need to check your Downloads folder after downloading).
DUBLIN, Friday, 5 March 2021: RCSI researchers have discovered a new way to ‘put the brakes’ on excessive inflammation by regulating a type of white blood cell that is critical for our immune system.
The discovery has the potential to protect the body from unchecked damage caused by inflammatory diseases.
The paper, led by researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in Nature Communications [insert DOI link].
When immune cells (white blood cells) in our body called macrophages are exposed to potent infectious agents, powerful inflammatory proteins known as cytokines are produced to fight the invading infection. However, if these cytokine levels get out of control, significant tissue damage can occur.
The researchers have found that a protein called Arginase-2 works through the energy source of macrophage cells, known as mitochondria, to limit inflammation. Specifically they have shown for the first time that Arginase-2 is critical for decreasing a potent inflammatory cytokine called IL-1.
This discovery could allow researchers to develop new treatments that target the Arginase-2 protein and protect the body from unchecked damage caused by inflammatory diseases.
“Excessive inflammation is a prominent feature of many diseases such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Through our discovery, we may be able to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory disease and ultimately improve the quality of life for people with these conditions,” commented senior author on the paper Dr Claire McCoy, Senior Lecturer in Immunology at RCSI.
The study was led by researchers at the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI (Dr Claire McCoy, Dr Jennifer Dowling and Ms Remsha Afzal) in collaboration with a network of international researchers from Australia, Germany, and Switzerland.
The research was funded by Science Foundation Ireland, with initial stages of the research originating from a grant from the National Health Medical Research Council, Australia.
About RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Ranked number one globally for Good Health and Well-being in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2020, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is an international not-for-profit university, with its headquarters in Dublin.
RCSI is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the World University Rankings (2021) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. RCSI has been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education.
Visit the RCSI MyHealth Expert Directory to find the details of our experts across a range of healthcare issues and concerns. Recognising their responsibility to share their knowledge and discoveries to empower people with information that leads them to better health, these clinicians and researchers are willing to engage with the media in their area of expertise.
For more information, please contact:
Jane Butler, Senior Communications Officer, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
janebutler@rcsi.ie | +353 87 7531877
RCSI MyHealth – Living Well with MS – Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The RCSI MyHealth Series is for people who want to learn more about common illnesses and health-related topics, and how we can improve out personal health and well-being. During this discussion on Living well with MS, the panel will address the clinical aspects of MS, the experience of living with MS, as well as explore the research and treatments available for MS patients.
Panelists include:
- Dr Lisa Costelloe, Consultant Neurologist at Beaumont Hospital
- Dr Claire McCoy, Senior Lecturer in Immunology at the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI
- Ms Grace Winters, EMEA Finance Director and MS patient
The discussion will be chaired by Professor Steve Kerrigan, Deputy Head of School (Research), School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
You can register here.
RCSI MyHealth – Living Well with MS – Royal College of Surgeons in IrelandMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune condition of the central nervous system that affects approximately 9,000 people in Ireland. During this discussion, the panel will address the clinical aspects of MS, the experience of living with MS, as well as explore the research and treatments available for MS patients.
A link to the discussion will be shared on the morning of the 24 May to watch back at any stage.
MS Masterclass Research Symposium and Public Information Evening
The Northern Ireland Multiple Sclerosis Research Network are holding an ‘MS Masterclass’ Virtual Research Symposium, on Tuesday 15th June 2021. This event will have both scientific and clinical research content.
There will also be a virtual public information evening on Tuesday 15th June at 6pm.
These events are open to anyone with an interest in Multiple Sclerosis research and affected by MS. Both events are free to attend but require registration.
Please register at:
https://conferencevirtually.co.uk/multiple-sclerosis-virtual-masterclass-2021/
For further information
http://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/NIMSRN
msmasterclass@qub.ac.uk
Poster Session/short invited talk – submit abstracts by 4th June 2021
Guest speakers include:
Dr Roberta Magliozzi – Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy.
Prof Sandra Amor – Head of Multiple Sclerosis Research, Dept of Pathology, Amsterdam University
Dr Martin Duddy – Consultant Neurologist and Clinical Director for Neurosciences, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals
Dr Ruth Dobson – Clinical Senior Lecturer, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Imre Lengyel – Senior Lecturer, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast
Prof Basil Sharrack – Consultant Neurologist, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Professor of Clinical Neurology, University of Sheffield.
Prof Catherine Lubetzki – Professor of Neurology, Sorbonne University and Salpêtrière
Supported by:
Guarantors of Brain,
Wellcome Trust
Queen’s University Belfast
Northern Ireland HSC Research and Development Office
NI MS Research Network committee wins the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Culture Prize
Congratulations to Northern Ireland MS Research Network committee who recently won the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Culture Prize at Queen’s University Belfast. This prize is awarded to a team/individual ‘that has made an outstanding contribution towards a more supportive, inclusive and collaborative research culture’. The committee of NIMSRN are all members of AIMS-RN.
The announcement of the Research Culture Prize can be viewed on the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai7_S7i3jMk&feature=youtu.be
AIMS-RN goes global!
We are delighted to announce that one of our founding members, Dr Alerie Guzman de la Fuente has been awarded the highly prestigious Miguel Servet Fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Health.
Through this Fellowship, Alerie will establish her independent MS research group at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Research of Alicante and CSIC-UMH Neuroscience Institute of Alicante, Spain.
While we are very sad to see Alerie go, we are delighted for her and can’t wait to see the scientific discoveries she makes in the future. Alerie will maintain a Visiting Researcher position in QUB and we look forward to continued collaboration to tackle some of the major challenges in MS research. Best of luck Alerie!