Measuring white blood cell kinetics in vivo using deuterated glucose
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Measuring Human White Blood Cell Kinetics in vivo using deuterated glucose
IRAS ID
226370
Contact name
Derek Macallan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St Georges, University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
This research project, supported in part by MRC and Wellcome Trust, investigates how human immunity is maintained. We wish to make measurements of human immunity in healthy people and in people with immune problems. No interventions are proposed; this is not a clinical trial.
Immunity depends on white cells (leukocytes)and specifically on having the right numbers of the right cells in the right place at the right time; summarised by the term “immune homeostasis”. Maintaining these leukocyte populations is crucial to good health and depends on balancing the rate at which cells divide and die.
The rate of division and death of human cells can be simply and safely measured by labelling dividing cells with harmless “stable” (heavy) isotopes such as deuterium. Such naturally-occurring atoms, being chemically identical to “normal” atoms, are safe and non-radioactive but are measurable. Over the past 10 years we have been using deuterium-labelled glucose and heavy water to measure division rates of leukocytes in human studies. We now propose extending our studies to look at more cell types in a bigger cohort of people with infections and conditions that affect the immune system including specifically HIV infection, arthritis, lymphoedema and breast cancer.
We propose to give tracer doses of deuterium-labelled glucose to research subjects; this will be incorporated in the DNA of dividing cells. We will then take follow-up blood samples over the ensuing 6-week period, from which we will separate a variety of different leukocyte cell-types. We will extract their DNA and measure the tracer amounts of deuterium present. We will also test whetehr we can measure teh labelling rates in plasma molecules such as cell-free DNA, which has been proposed as a marker of cancer activity. Deuterium enrichments (the amount above background) will be modelled to generate models of immune homestasis in health and disease.
REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1233
Date of REC Opinion
17 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion