Novel therapies for inflammatory arthritis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the potential for regulatory T cells isolated from cardiac patients in the development of novel therapies for inflammatory arthritis
IRAS ID
287930
Contact name
Oksana Kehoe
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Keele University
Duration of Study in the UK
10 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
One in every 16 of people in the UK live with an autoimmune condition causing them pain, difficulty, lost opportunities in work and in life, and in many cases placing them at risk of early death. Regulatory cells (also called Tregs) are cells of the immune system which have a role in regulating or suppressing other cells in the immune system. Understanding how Tregs suppress cells in the immune system could improve treatments for people with autoimmune conditions including lupus, type 1 diabetes, Sjögren syndrome, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Researchers from Keele University based at the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital have a long history of developing novel cell-based therapies for arthritis. To further our studies we wish to collect discarded human thymuses, the organ where Tregs develop, routinely removed during paediatric cardiac surgery at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. We intend to study the potential of cells derived from thymuses in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis.REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/WM/0271
Date of REC Opinion
7 Feb 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion