Close Up - group of the month
SysKid Close up: Let’s meet P20-UCD (University College Dublin)
University College Dublin (UCD) is Ireland’s largest university and is very research intensisve and attracts very significant external funding each year. The Renal Disease Research Group is based in the UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research at University College Dublin, which is a multidisciplinary state-of-the-art facility opened in 2003. The institute has excellent facilities for gene expression arrays, proteomics, cytomics and bioinformatics. The vision of the Conway Institute is to develop new knowledge from research projects ranging from molecules to man with expertise and facilities ranging from synthetic chemistry, in vitro cell culture, transgenic animals to clinical facilities in associated hospitals.
The Renal Disease Research Group (RDGD) group is led by Prof. Michael P Ryan and Dr. Tara McMorrow and consists, at present, of two principal investigators, a research coordinator, and six PhD students. The group has significant expertise in the areas of kidney disease, toxicology, pharmacology, epithelial biology, proteomics and genomics. Dr Craig Slattery is a senior research fellow and research coordinator of the RDRG. While the group is primarily a basic research unit, we also collaborate with consultant nephrologists in the associated hospitals in Dublin.
We are particularly interested in the mechanisms that underlie the development and progression of end-stage renal disease, diabetic nephropathy, renal cancers and drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Toxicology and novel toxicity screening systems involving toxicogenomics are also major focus areas. We are currently involved in developing new toxicity screening platforms for regulatory testing of chemical and drug safety including carcinogens. Our overall aim is to develop novel diagnostic and prognostic strategies for prevention and treatment of these diseases, and to identify novel therapeutic targets for future drug development.
Our Role in SysKid
In SysKid , we are the leader of WP 5.1 Functional Studies – Cell Culture. We are using a novel human renal proximal tubular cell RTPEC/TERT1 with the objectives of i) mechanistic analysis of the effects of candidate biomarkers and mediators, known or identified in WP 1-4 on the progression of CKD, ii) the identification and functional characterization of candidate genes in in vitro models, iii) the identification of signaling processes, interacting partners and regulation of selected candidate targets. In addition to gene expression studies, pathway analysis and intracellular signaling, we also carry out functional assays including barrier function, transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and albumin uptake /transport.
Funding and Research Collaborations
We are currently funded by grants from the European Union (6th and 7th Framework), the CEFIC Long-Range Initiative, the Health Research Board of Ireland of Ireland, Cystinosis Foundation Ireland, the American Cystinosis Association. We have many research collaborations in Ireland and Europe involved in these research programmes.
Selected group references
Carcinogens induce loss of the primary cilium in proximal tubular epithelial cells independent of effects on cell cycle.
Radford R, Slattery C, Jennings P, Blacque O, Pfaller W, Gmuender H, Van Delft J, Ryan MP,McMorrow T.
Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2012 [In Press]
Cyclosporine A-induced oxidative stress in human renal mesangial cells: a role for ERK 1/2 MAPK signalling.
O'Connell S, Tuite N, Slattery C, Ryan MP, McMorrow T.
Toxicol Sci. 2012 [In Press]
TGF-{beta}1 Mediates Sirolimus And Cyclosporine A-Induced Alteration Of Barrier Function In Renal Epithelial Cells via a noncanonical ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway.
Martin-Martin N, Slattery C, Mc Morrow T, Ryan MP
Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2011 301(6) F1281-92.
Identification of beta-2 microglobulin as a urinary biomarker for chronic allograft nephropathy using proteomic methods.
Johnston O, Cassidy H, O'Connell S , O’Riordan A, Gallagher W, Maguire PB, Wynne K, Cagney K, Ryan MP, Conlon PJ, McMorrow T.
Proteomics Clinical Applications 2011 5(7-8):422-31
High-mobility group box protein 1: a novel mediator of inflammatory-induced renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
Lynch J, Nolan S, Slattery C, Feighery R, Ryan MP, McMorrow T.
Am J Nephrol 2010 32(6):590-602.
Identification of Apolipoprotein AI as a serum biomarker of chronic kidney disease in liver transplant recipients, using proteomic techniques.
O'Riordan A, Johnston O, McMorrow T, Wynne K, Maguire P, Hegarty JE, McCormick A, Watson AJ, Cagney G, Gallagher WM and Ryan MP.
Proteomics Clin Appl 2008 2(9):1338-48
Visit www.ucd.ie/renal for more information.
