Role
Research into osteoclast (bone cell) signalling pathways, responsible to Dr Simon Fox
Qualifications & background
BSc Hons Genetics, University of Glasgow
PhD Cancer Genomics, University of Liverpool
Research interests
The underlying cause of many disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and osteolytic metastases is excessive activity by the cells that resorb bone, termed osteoclasts. We are interested in the signalling pathways that promote differentiation of osteoclasts from their mononuclear phagocyte precursors. Previous work by this group has shown that in the presence of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta precursors are primed to form osteoclasts. The ability of TGF-beta to facilitate osteoclast formation stems from an ability to suppress inflammatory cytokine pathways that promote the differentiation of precursors to alternative macrophage lineages. We are using molecular and cellular techniques to study the mechanism by which TGF-beta-induced signals interact with inflammatory pathways and thereby enable osteoclast formation. As a sideline we are also studying the mechanism by which interleukin-10 inhibits osteoclast formation.
Publications
Risk, J. M., K. E. Evans, J. Jones, J. E. Langan, L. Rowbottom, F. E. McRonald, H. S. Mills, A. Ellis, J. M. Shaw, I. M. Leigh, D. P. Kelsell, and J. K. Field. 2002. Characterization of a 500 kb region on 17q25 and the exclusion of candidate genes as the familial Tylosis Oesophageal Cancer (TOC) locus. Oncogene 21: 6395.
Risk, J. M., H. S. Mills, J. Garde, J. R. Dunn, K. E. Evans, M. Hollstein, and J. K. Field. 1999. The tylosis esophageal cancer (TOC) locus: more than just a familial cancer gene. Dis. Esophagus 12: 173.
Risk, J. M., C. Ruhrberg, H. Hennies, H. S. Mills, T. Di Colandrea, K. E. Evans, A. Ellis, F. M. Watt, D. T. Bishop, N. K. Spurr, H. P. Stevens, I. M. Leigh, A. Reis, D. P. Kelsell, and J. K. Field. 1999. Envoplakin, a possible candidate gene for focal NEPPK/esophageal cancer (TOC): the integration of genetic and physical maps of the TOC region on 17q25. Genomics 59: 234.
