Rachel Allen

Summary

Affiliation: St Georges, University of London
Location: London, United Kingdom
URL: http://sgul.academia.edu/rachelallen
Summary:
Research into recognition of MHC class I proteins, particularly by members of the Leukocyte Ig Like Receptor LILR/ILT/LIR) family in the context of infectious disease, autoimmune disease and cancer.
Grants:
1) Recognition of HLA B27 by Leukocyte Ig Like Receptors, and their relevance in arthritis, 2008
Arthritis Research Campaign

(2) Host-pathogen interactions involving members of the leukocyte Ig-like receptor (LILR) innate immune receptor family and Mycobacterium bovis. 2009
Veterinary Laboratories Agency/SGUL

(3) Modulation of antigen presenting cell plasticity by leukocyte Ig-like receptors (LILR) 2008. CRUK

(4) 2007 Beit Memorial Fellowship for Medical Research

(5) The role of immunomodulatory receptors in B and T cell malignancies. 2003. LRF

(6) Non-classical recognition of MHC in spondyloarthropathy. 2001. ARC.
Publications:
1. HLA Class I allelic sequence and conformation regulate Leukocyte Ig-like Receptor (LILR) binding. 2011 J Immunol.186:2990-97

2. Modulation of Toll like receptor activity by Leukocyte Ig-like Receptors and their effects during bacterial infection. Mediators Inflamm 2010;2010: 536478

3. The inhibitory receptor LILRB4 (ILT3) modulates antigen presenting cell phenotype and, along with LILRB2 (ILT4), is upregulated in response to Salmonella infection. 2009. BMC Immunology 10:56

4. A common mechanism of alternative mRNA splicing generates soluble forms of LILR. 2009. Eur J. Immunol. 39: 1–12

5. Regulation of T cell immunity by LILR, innate immune receptors for self on antigen presenting cells. 2009.Immunology 127:8-17

6. A viral CTL escape mutation leading to immunoglobulin-like transcript 4-mediated functional inhibition of myelomonocytic cells. 2007. J Exp Med 204(12):2813-24.

7. Consistent patterns of expression of HLA class I free heavy chains in healthy individuals and raised expression in spondyloarthropathy patients point to physiological and pathological roles. 2006. Rheumatology 45:1338

8. MHC-I recognition by receptors on myelomonocytic cells: New tricks for old dogs? 2005. BioEssays 27:542

9. The LILR family: modulators of innate and adaptive immune pathways in health and disease. 2004. Tissue Antigens. 64:215

10. Killer Cell Ig-like receptor and leukocyte Ig-like receptor transgenic mice exhibit tissue-specific and cell-specific transgene expression 2003. J Immunol 171:3056

11. Recognition of forms of HLA B27 by leukocyte receptors. 2003. Curr Mol Med. 4:59

12. Leukocyte receptor complex-encoded immunomodulatory receptors show differing specificity for alternative HLA-B27 structures. 2001. J Immunol 167:5543

13. Primitive Toll signalling: bugs, flies, worms and man 2001. Trends in Immunology 22:63

14. Evolution and transmission of stable CTL escape mutations in HIV infection. 2001. Nature. 412:334

15. Clustered Mutations in HIV-1 gag Are Consistently Required for Escape from HLA-B27-restricted Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Responses. 2001. J Exp Med 193:375

16. Pellino-related sequences from Caenorhabditis elegans and Homo sapiens. 2000. Immunogenetics 52:145

17. Defying death after DNA damage. 2000. Nature 407:777

18. Direct visualization of HIV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes during primary infection. 2000. AIDS 14:225

19. The role of HLA-B27 in spondyloarthritis. 1999. Immunogenetics 50:220

20. Disassembly of nuclear inclusions in the dividing cell--a novel insight into neurodegeneration. 1999. Hum Mol Genet 8:2451

21. Cutting edge: HLA-B27 can form a novel beta 2-microglobulin-free heavy chain homodimer structure. 1999. J Immunol 162:5045

22. Importance of a conserved TCR J alpha-encoded tyrosine for T cell recognition of an HLA B27/peptide complex. 1998. Eur J Immunol 28:2704

23. Oligoclonal expansions of CD8(+) T cells in chronic HIV infection are antigen specific. 1998. J Exp Med 188:785

24. Cutting Edge: Human myelomonocytic cells express an inhibitory receptor for classical and nonclassical MHC Class I molecules. 1998. J. Immunol. 160:3096

25. Multiple T cell expansions are found in the blood and synovial fluid of patients with reactive arthritis. J. Rheumatol. 1997. 24:1750

26. Identification of T cell receptor residues for a viral peptide presented by HLA B27. 1994. Eur. J. Immunol. 24:2357

Publications

  1. ncbi Human myelomonocytic cells express an inhibitory receptor for classical and nonclassical MHC class I molecules
    M Colonna
    Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland
    J Immunol 160:3096-100. 1998
  2. ncbi A viral CTL escape mutation leading to immunoglobulin-like transcript 4-mediated functional inhibition of myelomonocytic cells
    Mathias Lichterfeld
    Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard University Center for AIDS Research, Boston, MA 02129, USA
    J Exp Med 204:2813-24. 2007
  3. ncbi Consistent patterns of expression of HLA class I free heavy chains in healthy individuals and raised expression in spondyloarthropathy patients point to physiological and pathological roles
    T Raine
    Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
    Rheumatology (Oxford) 45:1338-44. 2006
  4. ncbi MHC-I recognition by receptors on myelomonocytic cells: new tricks for old dogs?
    Tim Raine
    Department of Pathology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
    Bioessays 27:542-50. 2005
  5. ncbi The LILR family: modulators of innate and adaptive immune pathways in health and disease
    D Brown
    Immunology Division, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
    Tissue Antigens 64:215-25. 2004
  6. ncbi Leukocyte receptor complex-encoded immunomodulatory receptors show differing specificity for alternative HLA-B27 structures
    R L Allen
    Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
    J Immunol 167:5543-7. 2001
  7. ncbi Evolution and transmission of stable CTL escape mutations in HIV infection
    P J Goulder
    Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Division of AIDS, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
    Nature 412:334-8. 2001
  8. ncbi Clustered mutations in HIV-1 gag are consistently required for escape from HLA-B27-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses
    A D Kelleher
    Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
    J Exp Med 193:375-86. 2001
  9. ncbi Pellino-related sequences from Caenorhabditis elegans and Homo sapiens
    T Rich
    Department of Pathology, Cambridge University, UK
    Immunogenetics 52:145-9. 2000
  10. ncbi Disassembly of nuclear inclusions in the dividing cell--a novel insight into neurodegeneration
    T Rich
    Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
    Hum Mol Genet 8:2451-9. 1999

Detail Information

Publications14

  1. ncbi Human myelomonocytic cells express an inhibitory receptor for classical and nonclassical MHC class I molecules
    M Colonna
    Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland
    J Immunol 160:3096-100. 1998
    ..ILT4 may control inflammatory responses and cytotoxicity mediated by myelomonocytic cells and may modulate their Ag-presenting functions, focusing immune responses to microbial challenges and avoiding autoreactivity...
  2. ncbi A viral CTL escape mutation leading to immunoglobulin-like transcript 4-mediated functional inhibition of myelomonocytic cells
    Mathias Lichterfeld
    Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard University Center for AIDS Research, Boston, MA 02129, USA
    J Exp Med 204:2813-24. 2007
    ....
  3. ncbi Consistent patterns of expression of HLA class I free heavy chains in healthy individuals and raised expression in spondyloarthropathy patients point to physiological and pathological roles
    T Raine
    Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
    Rheumatology (Oxford) 45:1338-44. 2006
    ..CONCLUSIONS: Our findings define normal levels and tissue expression of FHCs, and support the hypothesis that disregulation of heavy chain expression may play a pathogenic role in spondyloarthropathy...
  4. ncbi MHC-I recognition by receptors on myelomonocytic cells: new tricks for old dogs?
    Tim Raine
    Department of Pathology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
    Bioessays 27:542-50. 2005
    ..Our model also offers an alternative explanation of immune dysregulation rather than autoimmunity during HLA-B27-associated spondyloarthropathies and addresses a number of conundrums in this field...
  5. ncbi The LILR family: modulators of innate and adaptive immune pathways in health and disease
    D Brown
    Immunology Division, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
    Tissue Antigens 64:215-25. 2004
    ..In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the nature and function of LILRs, focusing on their regulation of immune cell activity and their potential role in disease...
  6. ncbi Leukocyte receptor complex-encoded immunomodulatory receptors show differing specificity for alternative HLA-B27 structures
    R L Allen
    Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
    J Immunol 167:5543-7. 2001
    ..Alternative recognition of different forms of HLA-B27 by KIR or ILT could influence their immunomodulatory function and may imply a role in inflammatory disease...
  7. ncbi Evolution and transmission of stable CTL escape mutations in HIV infection
    P J Goulder
    Partners AIDS Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Division of AIDS, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
    Nature 412:334-8. 2001
    ..These data suggest that CTL escape mutations in epitopes associated with suppression of viraemia will accumulate as the epidemic progresses, and therefore have important implications for vaccine design...
  8. ncbi Clustered mutations in HIV-1 gag are consistently required for escape from HLA-B27-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses
    A D Kelleher
    Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
    J Exp Med 193:375-86. 2001
    ..Outgrowth of CTL escape viruses required high viral loads and additional, possibly compensatory, mutations in the gag protein...
  9. ncbi Pellino-related sequences from Caenorhabditis elegans and Homo sapiens
    T Rich
    Department of Pathology, Cambridge University, UK
    Immunogenetics 52:145-9. 2000
  10. ncbi Disassembly of nuclear inclusions in the dividing cell--a novel insight into neurodegeneration
    T Rich
    Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
    Hum Mol Genet 8:2451-9. 1999
    ....
  11. ncbi Importance of a conserved TCR J alpha-encoded tyrosine for T cell recognition of an HLA B27/peptide complex
    P Bowness
    Molecular Immunology Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, GB
    Eur J Immunol 28:2704-13. 1998
    ..Modeling of the GRb TCR CDR3alpha loop suggests that residue Y102 contacts the HLA B*2705 alpha1 helix. It is thus possible that selection of germ-line TCRAJ-encoded residues at position 102 may be MHC driven...
  12. ncbi Oligoclonal expansions of CD8(+) T cells in chronic HIV infection are antigen specific
    J D Wilson
    Molecular Immunology Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
    J Exp Med 188:785-90. 1998
    ....
  13. ncbi Modulation of Toll-like receptor activity by leukocyte Ig-like receptors and their effects during bacterial infection
    Louise E Pilsbury
    Centre for Infection, St George s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK
    Mediators Inflamm 2010:536478. 2010
    ..Agents have already been identified which enhances or inhibits LILR activity raising the future possibility that modulation of LILR function could be used as a means to modulate TLR activity...
  14. ncbi The inhibitory receptor LILRB4 (ILT3) modulates antigen presenting cell phenotype and, along with LILRB2 (ILT4), is upregulated in response to Salmonella infection
    Damien P Brown
    Division of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St Georges, University of London, Centre for Infection, London, UK
    BMC Immunol 10:56. 2009
    ..There are relatively few studies regarding these receptors in the context of infection and it is not yet clear how LILRB4 exerts its inhibitory effects...