LCTF PhD Funded Study Update
In the final year of a PhD funded by the Lauren Currie Twilight Foundation, Annie Peacock has made significant strides in understanding the role of specific blood cells, called monocytes, in the formation of giant cells. These giant cells are commonly found in the blood vessels of patients with Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA), from which the disease gets its name.
One of the key findings of the research has been that monocytes from GCA patients behave differently from those of healthy individuals. These cells are more prone to becoming giant cells when exposed to inflammatory molecules, which mimic the environment in GCA-affected blood vessels. Additionally, it was discovered that GCA patients exhibit higher levels of a molecule called CCR5 in their monocytes. While CCR5 usually functions to guide immune cells to infection sites, in GCA patients, it may be contributing to the migration of these cells into inflamed blood vessels, potentially playing a role in giant cell formation. CCR5 has also been implicated in other vascular diseases and conditions involving giant cells.
Currently, Annie is exploring the genetic basis behind the elevated levels of CCR5 in GCA patients. This involves investigating mutations or changes in gene expression that could explain this phenomenon. Furthermore, a drug that blocks CCR5 is being tested to determine if it can prevent the formation of giant cells in blood samples from GCA patients, which could open the door to new therapeutic approaches in the future.
See more about this and other LCTF research projects
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