Relevant Key Words:

Minucell® organotypic cell culture system, conventional organotypic cell culture systems, influenza virus, poxviruses, hepatitis c virus

Research Expertise relevant to tissue engineering & repair:

Virus infections of conventional and multiple cell culture systems.  Organotypic cell cultures: liver, skin, lung.

Skin focus:

My group investigates the properties of Molluscum Contagiosum Virus (MCV),  a poxvirus dedicated to the human skin. MCV causes benign tumors of  hyperproliferating keratinocytes only in the epidermal layer of human skin. The tumors are classified as acanthomas.  MCV only replicates in human epidermal keratinocytes in vivo and for this reason there is no in vitro replication system for this virus. To find out what makes the virus replicate in human skin and not in conventional epithelial cell lines, we are studying virus infection of an in vitro skin equivalent in the lab using the MINUCELL dual chamber cell culture system.  We are using the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT, skin stem cells,  and human primary fibroblast cells (HFF, MRC5, BJ1) growing on either side of collagen coated porous nylon membranes as skin barrier model. The orthopox virus Vaccinia virus strain WR serves as control virus for all readout methods. We are investigating virus morphology, entry, virus uncoating, transcription, genome replication, egress, and cytokine induction via TLR , PKR and RIG using EM, immunefluorescent / confocal microscopy, PCR, RT-PCR, nucleic acid and protein blotting techniques, lymphocyte diapedesis, cytokine ELISAs and cytokine bioassays. The project aims to investigate and characterise virus infection of cells in isolation and in various combinations in the skin model.  We would like to collaborate with skin groups in Cardiff to test virus poxviral infection characteristics in a range of different skin models.

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If you have reagents that may be of interest to the CITER Membership, e.g. cell lines, microbiological cultures. Please give a representative list below:

Please contact me for cell culture reagents/ cell lines related to skin, liver, lung research.