Institution: Queen Mary University of London
Investigator: Jesmond Dalli
Inflammation helps the body to ward off infections and repair damaged tissues but if this goes wrong it can cause more damage than it stops.
A family of genes are really important for making a group of molecules called pro resolving mediators, which are important for regulating inflammation. Increasing or decreasing the production or activity of these molecules can change the amount of inflammation.
The genes that encode for these enzymes and receptors are slightly different between people; in most cases these variations have no effect, but a small number may change the amount of inflammation that a person has.
We think that variations found in these genes in some Genes & Health volunteers might change how they work. It’s unlikely that a person with a gene change will notice anything, but a sample of blood will help us work out if inflammation works slightly different in their body compared to others.
The aim of this study is to find out whether these genetic variations influence the production or actions of pro resolving mediators and how this impacts inflammation. This will help us to gain new insights on disease progression and potentially enhance the discovery of new and more effective treatments.
