Dr Paula Longhi
Reader in Dendritic Cell Biology
Centre: Biochemical Pharmacology
Email: m.longhi@qmul.ac.ukTelephone: +44(0) 20 7882 6566
Profile
Paula Longhi graduated from Buenos Aires University (UBA) with a degree in Biochemistry in 2001. In 2006 she obtained her PhD at Cardiff University, under the mentoring of Dr Awen Gallimore and Prof Paul Morgan. During her PhD she studied the role of complement in the induction of innate and adaptive immunity to tumors and virus infection. With the intention to gain a deeper and broader understanding of immune responses, in 2006 Dr Longhi joined the Laboratory of Ralph Steinman where she worked in the design of dendritic cell-based vaccines to prevent many illnesses such as HIV, malaria, leishmania and cancer. During this time, she expanded her knowledge on dendritic cell biology and focused her research in the cellular processes associated with DCs maturation. Dr Longhi joined the William Harvey Research Institute in 2013 with the aim of manipulating DC maturation to control unwanted reactions (e.g. atherosclerosis) and to promote desired immune responses (e.g. protective vaccines).
Research
Dr Longhi research focuses on understanding the intricate differentiation process of dendritic cell maturation (DCs) and how can ultimately influence the outcome of the adaptive T cell response. DCs are the main antigen presenting cells for initiating primary immune responses. DCs patrol the bloodstream and tissues to sense danger signals as bacteria, viruses or toxins. After exposure to such stimuli they undergo an extensive maturation process, which results in the expression of co-stimulatory molecules, cytokine production and enhanced migration to draining lymph nodes (LNs), where they present antigens to naive T cells.
Appropriate activation and maturation of DCs, is needed to induce adaptive T cell immunity. However, the definition of “mature” DCs has major gaps at the molecular and biological levels. Up to now, maturation has focused on up-regulation of surface MHC-II and costimulatory molecules and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These assays for “phenotypic” maturation do not fully capture the biology of “functional” DC maturation, which leads to T cell immunity. It is, therefore important to define the molecular changes and functional switches required for the generation of functionally mature DCs.
Dr Longhi is currently working on two main projects:
- Identification of novel pathways for DC maturation and their influence on adaptive T cell responses.
- Study the role of metabolic reprogramming during DC maturation in the development of vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis.
Publications
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Vyas V, Sandhar B, Keane JM et al. (2024). Tissue-resident memory T cells in epicardial adipose tissue comprise transcriptionally distinct subsets that are modulated in atrial fibrillation. nameOfConference
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Fu H, Vuononvirta J, Fanti S et al. (2023). The Glucose Transporter 2 regulates CD8+ T cell function via environment sensing.. nameOfConference
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Fanti S, Stephenson E, Rocha-Vieira E et al. (2022). Circulating c-Met–Expressing Memory T Cells Define Cardiac Autoimmunity. nameOfConference
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Vyas V, Blythe H, Wood EG et al. (2021). Obesity and diabetes are major risk factors for epicardial adipose tissue inflammation. nameOfConference
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Hearnden R, Sandhar B, Vyas V et al. (2021). Isolation of stromal vascular fraction cell suspensions from mouse and human adipose tissues for downstream applications. nameOfConference
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Bajaj R, Sinclair HC, Patel K et al. (2021). Delayed-onset myocarditis following COVID-19. nameOfConference
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Wood EG, Macdougall CE, Blythe H et al. (publicationYear). HIF1α activation in dendritic cells under sterile conditions promotes an anti-inflammatory phenotype through accumulation of intracellular lipids. nameOfConference
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Vyas V, Hunter RJ, Longhi MP et al. (2020). Inflammation and adiposity: new frontiers in atrial fibrillation. nameOfConference
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Macdougall CE, Wood EG, Solomou A et al. (2019). Constitutive Activation of β-Catenin in Conventional Dendritic Cells Increases the Insulin Reserve to Ameliorate the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Mice. nameOfConference
DOI: 10.2337/db18-1243
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Mogilenko DA, Haas JT, L'homme L et al. (2019). Erratum: Metabolic and Innate Immune Cues Merge into a Specific Inflammatory Response via the UPR (Cell (2019) 177(5) (1201–1216.e19), (S0092867419302806), (10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.018)). nameOfConference
Sponsors
- British Heart Foundation
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
Collaborators
Internal
- Prof Federica Marelli-Berg (WHRI)
- Prof Mauro Perretti (WHRI)
- Prof Shu Ye (WHRI)
External
- Dr Cheolho Cheong (McGill University, Canada)
- Dr Niroshana Anandasabapathy (Harvard, US)
- Dr Saurabh Mehandru (Mount Sinai, US)