The role of immune cells in colitis

Project Leader: Dr Nicole Cianci, Academic Clinical Fellow

Nicole is working with the Simmons Group at the WIMM (Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine). Her aim is to explore the role of immune cells in colitis, including CD4+ T cells. This is because colonic lamina propria houses a vast quantity of tissue-resident CD4+ T-cells, but their properties and possible contribution to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have not been well defined.

Nicole will build on previous work from the Simmons lab and apply new single-cell multiomic technologies, using a broad and unbiased approach. The objective is to build a more comprehensive picture of cellular function, including integrating information about gene expression, chromatin accessibility landscape, and protein expression at a single-cell level.

The comprehensive and high-resolution picture provided by the integration of the latest single-cell technologies now promises a potential revolution in our understanding of IBD pathogenesis. Indeed, it may drive a new era of drug discovery and personalisation of care.

January 2023