The London Research Institute research groups are based at Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Clare Hall. Our major research themes are: the biology of tumours and tissues, cellular regulatory mechanisms and genomic integrity and cell cycle.
Ian Kerr
Ian Kerr's Biochemical Regulatory Mechanisms Laboratory's objectives were to determine the minimum signalling requirements for an IFN-g response, how these are modulated and organised in three-dimensional space, and what this tells us about the nature and specificity of the JAK/STAT signalling pathways involved.
The interferons (IFNs) are produced by cells in response to virus infection and a number of other stimuli. On treatment with an IFN cells develop an antiviral state against a broad spectrum of viruses. The IFNS are not, however, simply antiviral agents, they also profoundly affect cell growth and function particularly in relation to the development and efficacy of the immune system. They have found clinical application most notable in the treatment of viral hepatitis, multiple sclerosis and some cancers. In accord with their pleiotropic effects the IFNs induce the transcription of many hundreds of genes.
Significant LRI Papers
- Athie-Morales V, Smits HH, Cntrell DA, Hikens CMU. Sustained IL-12 signaling is required for Th1 development. Journal of Immunology. 2004;172:61-69 (Abstract)
- Lillemeier B, Koster M, Kerr IM. STAT1 from the cell membrane to the DNA. EMBO Journal 2001;20:2508-2517 (Abstract)
- Schlaak JF, Hikens CMU, Costa-Pereira AP, Strobl B, Aberger F, Frischauf A-M, Kerr IM. Cell-type and donor-specific transcriptional responses to interferon-alpha: use of customized gene arrays. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2002;277:49428-49437 (Abstract)
- Strobl B, Arulampalam V, Is’harc H, Newman SJ, Schlaak JF, Watling D, Costa-Pereira AP, Schaper F, Behrmann I, Sheehan KCF, Schreiber RD, Horn F, Heinrich PC, Kerr IM. A completely foreign receptor can mediate an interferin-gamma-like response. EMBO Journal. 2001;20:5431-5442 (Abstract)
- Gatsios P, Terstegen L, Schliess F, Haussinger D, Kerr IM, Heinrich PC, Graeve L. Activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway by osmotic shock. Journal of Biological Chemistry 1998;273:22962-22968 (Abstract)
