School of Medicine, Dentistry
and Biomedical
Sciences
DEL Postgraduate Research Opportunity for
September 2011 (SUBJECT TO FUNDING)
Vision and Vascular
Analysis of vasoreparative and anti inflammatory
potential of a myelomonocytic endotheliaI progenitor
cell sub-type in the context of diabetic retinopathy
Supervisors:
(email a.stitt@qub.ac.uk)
(email heping.xu@qub.ac.uk)
Candidates should have or expect to obtain a 2:1or higher Honours degree or
equivalent in Microbiology, Biochemistry or other relevant Biology degree.
Further information is available on the School website at
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/mdbs/ (Click on Postgraduate Studentships ).
Potential candidates are encouraged to contact the supervisor prior to submitting an
application.
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy remains a leading cause of visual impairment and currently available
treatments largely focus on end-stage disease and do not address the primary microvascular
insufficiency that precedes retinal oedema, pre-retinal neovascularisation and fibrous scar
formation. An alternative therapeutic approach is to promote vascular repair and
regeneration of the ischaemic retina at an early stage, thereby reducing the stimulus that
drives sight-threatening pathology.
Cell-based therapies using stem cells/progenitors hold great promise for treatments of
degenerative diseases. In the vascular biology field there are already a number of ongoing
clinical trials using EPC therapy for myocardial infarction and ischaemic limbs. There is also
clinical potential for “cell therapy” at the vasodegenerative phase of diabetic retinopathy.
However, the precise nature of so-called endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) needs to be
established since this nomenclature represents a “catch-all” for a range of cell-types with
distinct derivation and differentiation potential. Some EPCs are of myelomonocytic
derivation and may show remarkable plasticity according to their microenvironment. This
could be problematic because therapy using the wrong EPC-type delivered into a diseased
tissue (such as diabetes) has potential to exacerbate rather than help pathology. Whether
the vascular reparative EPC phenotype is maintained or shifted towards a pro-inflammatory
phenotype when cells are derived from diabetic patients or delivered to the diabetic retina is
unknown. This is a major question to be addressed in this project.
This PhD studentship will be embedded within a well-funded group consisting of several postdoctoral fellows, PhD students and technical support (http://www.qub.ac.uk/researchcentres/CentreforVisionandVascularScience/). The project will cover the areas of vascular
biology, ophthalmology and immunology and provide a highly challenging but exciting training.
Many molecular cell biology approaches will be incorporated into the project using human
(umbilical cord and peripheral blood-derived) cells and various in vitro and in vivo model
systems.
CLOSING DATE: Friday 11 February 2011
Eligibility for both fees and maintenance (£13,590 in 2010/11 depends on the applicants being either an ordinary
UK resident or those EU residents who have lived permanently in the UK for the 3 years immediately preceding
the start of the studentship. Non UK residents who hold EU residency may also apply but if successful may
receive fees only.