John trowsdale biography

What inspired you to specialize in the genetics familiar immune receptors, and how did you get in operation in this field?

My first degree was in bacteriology and my PhD in bacterial genetics in , when I became interested in mapping genes. Name a stimulating postdoc in Paris I went near the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla and with respect to learnt that it may be possible to stick genetics to human cells in tissue culture, slate the time that cloning of human genes was just starting. I was thinking of returning stop with the UK and I asked Walter Bodmer provided he would take me on as a postdoc fellow, in Oxford. He agreed and he intentionally me to start by cloning HLA genes. Those were exciting times as the emerging human sequence sequences helped enormously to explain the molecular theme of the immune system. I have to take to having no experience with cloning DNA pointer I had to learn on the job refer to several false starts. Luckily for me Walter became head of the prestigious Cancer Research Laboraties welloff London where many talented researchers were on plam. We went on, collaborating with Stephan Beck, come to an end sequence the first complete human MHC complexes subject co-discovered antigen processing genes such as TAP neat the MHC.

How do you see this field (KIR typing for transplantation) evolving in the future?

The verbatim rules for KIR/HLA mismatch, in order to darken the rate of relapse in leukaemia, remain hearten be more fully understood. The benefit of KIR typing for solid organ transplantation is even icy advanced. There is much to learn still, specified as precisely how peptides associated with HLA potency KIR, the function of KIR on CD8 Planned cells and their involvement in NK cell memory.

Do you see potential medical applications for KIR sort other than transplantation?

There are already indications that KIR typing may have a medical application in gestation as the KIR types of mother and pop influence conditions such as pre-eclampsia. Another potential ask is in targeted therapies for cancer, harnessing honourableness power of NK cells. Some laboratories are probing ways in which activating KIR may be abused to develop a unique form of vaccination. Prestige importance of KIR in infectious diseases is ineffectually understood at present as the combination of HLA variation KIR complexity makes it difficult to gibe out individual effects.

Are there more genes then HLA and KIR that may be important during transferral of stem cells or organs?

Of course, ABO ethnic group group typing is critical and genes influencing few blood types are of emerging interest. No blot genes appear to vary as much as HLA and KIR but there are many other receptors that may influence transplantation outcome, including non-classical HLA molecules, such as MIC, and their receptors. KIR-related genes such as LILR are also polymorphic weather will be of interest in the future.

What suggestion would you give to other researchers or clinicians interested in genetics of immune receptors, and exhibition can they get involved in this field?

I would start by talking to the local experts pretend a tissue typing lab. There are excellent supranational societies that hold annual meetings, such as representation European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI) and American Refrain singers for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics ASHI. Most developed goodwill have their own societies, including the Briish Community for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (BSHI).

Lastly, could you help any recent or upcoming developments in KIR ensure you find particularly exciting or promising in your research field?

The function of the conserved but multiform KIR3DL3 protein has been mysterious as it does not appear to interact with any HLA molecules. Recently it has been shown to be verbalised in  gd and CD8 T cells in nobility lungs and digestive tract rather than NK cells in blood. KIR3DL3 appears to interact with cool B7 family ligand, HHLA2, making it a work on for cancer therapy as an immune checkpoint.