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Anne-Catherine Raby

Dr Anne-Catherine Raby

Lecturer

School of Medicine

Email
RabyA@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29206 87324
Campuses
Tenovus Building, Room 3F14, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN

Overview

Since my PhD studies, my research has centred on the mechanisms regulating inflammation, with particular interest to the activity of a family of immune sensors called Toll-like receptors (TLRs). These receptors play a critical role in the clearance of infection by initiating a prompt immune response to pathogens and are also important to the resolution of tissue damage following sterile injury. Dysregulation in TLR's activity has been found to be involved in many inflammatory pathologies. During my PhD, I characterised the activity of soluble TLR2, a naturally-occurring soluble form of TLR2 which we discovered, and demonstrated that it can reduce TLR activity, preventing excessive TLR-mediated inflammation.

Over the last few years, I have sought to apply my background knowledge and expertise to clinically relevant questions. Notably, we have proposed a TLR-based strategy to boost the immune response and help reduce the risk of secondary infections in immunosuppressed sepsis patients. More recently, my fellowship work has revealed the role of TLRs in mediating peritoneal membrane fibrosis in kidney disease patients on peritoneal dialysis, a condition which dramatically reduces the efficiency and duration of the dialysis treatment. I also demonstrated in vivo that soluble TLR2 could be used to prevent or reduce the occurrence of peritoneal fibrosis.

I have very recently been appointed a Lecturer to work within the Welsh Heart Research Institute (WHRI) and the Welsh Kidney Research Unit (WKRU) and study the inflammatory link between chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, again with particular interest to the role of TLRs.

Publication

2023

2019

2018

2017

2016

2014

2013

2012

2011

2009

2008

Articles

Thesis