Protein trafficking and inflammation
We are discovering new genes, proteins and cellular pathways that help us understand how inflammation is turned on and off in immune cells
Inflammation is an important defence against infection but it can also contribute to chronic diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and to kidney, lung, vascular and bowel diseases, and importantly, to cancer.
Immune cells, including macrophages, release cytokines or messengers that can over-stimulate immune responses in acute infection, causing a ‘cytokine storm’ , or they can continuously active inflammation causing tissue damage in chronic disease.
Our goal is to identify molecules and pathways that can be targeted with new or existing drugs to modulate inflammation in many disease situatios
As molecular cell biologists we are interested in the cellular pathways for cytokine secretion and for pathogen recognition and surveillance that contribute to inflammation.
Macropinocytosis is a ‘drinking and eating’ pathway for many cells. It is important for the pathogen-mediated activation of macrophages and it can be upregulated in cancer to sustain the survival of cancer cells.
Dissecting differential regulators for the control of macropinocytosis is of particular prevalence in our current research.
We partner with other groups in the IMB Centre for Inflammation and Disease Research and others around the world, for multidisciplinary research.
Group leader
Professor Jenny Stow
Group Leader, Protein trafficking and inflammation
Deputy Director (Research), Institute for Molecular Bioscience
+61 7 334 62110
j.stow@imb.uq.edu.au
UQ Researcher Profile
Our team
Research excellence
Help us shape the future
Stories
- Researchers will soon understand how to better target cancer treatments with the opening of a new Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) facility at The University of Queensland (UQ).
- Did you know that when you take certain genetic tests, the company can make money by on-selling your data to other businesses?
Now new blockchain-based marketplaces could give individuals control over access to their encrypted DNA data, and the ability to sell it to research companies for their own profit. - The technicians who keep the research machinery running are among recipients of this year’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) Impact Awards.
Pages
Connect with us
