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LMCB - Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology

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Sophie Acton's picture

LMCB Group Leader, Cancer Research UK Senior ResearchÌýFellow

s.acton@ucl.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 Ìý3108 1348
LMCB Room 3.01

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Stromal immunology

Research synopsis

Our interests lie in the communication between different cell types of the immune system, specifically the mechanisms controlling cellular trafficking, multicellular organization and lymphoid organ architecture.

The lymph node is a highly organized and tightly controlled environment. The dynamic nature of lymph node swelling and contraction is critical to all immune responses and is not well understood.Ìý

We want to understand the processes involved in lymph node swelling/expansion, and how the interplay between immune cells and non-haematopeotic stromal cells is key to this process.ÌýBy studying lymph node-dynamics we can learn about the control of immune responses. In addition, the lymph node as an experimental model is hugely relevant to the interplay between immune cells and stroma in settings such as tumours.

There are many parallels in the function of fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) of lymphoid tissues and tumour-associated fibroblasts. Taking lessons from the cell-cell interactions in the lymph node may provide novel avenues for tumour immunotherapy.

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Selected publications

Chin MHW, et al (2023). . Biotechnol J. Nov 20:e2300359. doi: 10.1002/biot.202300359. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37986209.

Horsnell HL, et al (2022). . Nat Immunol. 2022 Aug;23(8):1169-1182. doi: 10.1038/s41590-022-01272-5. Epub 2022 Jul 26. PMID: 35882934; PMCID: PMC9355877.

Lim SE, et al (2023). Open Biol. May;13(5):220377. doi: 10.1098/rsob.220377. Epub 2023 May 10. PMID: 37161290; PMCID: PMC10170195.

Zhao J, et al (2022). . J Clin Invest. ÌýDec 15;132(24):e159672. doi: 10.1172/JCI159672. PMID: 36519543; PMCID: PMC9754003.

Acton SE, et al (2021). . Trends Immunol. Sep;42(9):782-794. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2021.07.003. Epub 2021 Aug 3. PMID: 34362676.

de Winde CM, et al (2020). . Med Microbiol Immunol. Aug;209(4):515-529. doi: 10.1007/s00430-020-00680-4. Epub 2020 May 25. PMID: 32451606; PMCID: PMC7395046.

About the lab

Funders

Medical Research Council
Cancer Research UK
European Research Council
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Research themes

Cytoskeleton and cell cortex
Polarity and cell shape
Signalling pathways
Cell-cell interactions
Cell migration
Tissue remodeling
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Technology

Light microscopy
2-Photon microscopy
Flow cytometry
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People

Spiros MakrisÌý(PDRA)
Delan Alasaadi (PDRA)
Christa Benjamin (Lab manager)
Callum FoakesÌý(PhD student)
Nicola NguyenÌý(PhD student)
Veronika Lachina (PhD student, joint with Mao lab)
Yubin KangÌý(PhD student)
Daniel Shewring (PhD student)

Collaborators

Chris Tape (UCL CI)
Clare Bennett (UCL CI)
Yanlan Mao (LMCB)
Marc-Olivier Coppens (UCL Engineering, CNIE)
Sabrina Simoncelli (Physics, LCN)
Erik Sahai (Francis Crick Institute)
Luigo Ombrato (Bart’s Cancer Institute, QMUL)
David Withers (University of Birmingham)
Menna Clatworthy (Univeristy of Cambridge)