A/Prof Kiarash Khosrotehrani
Email: k.khosrotehrani@uq.edu.au
Research Interests
Our
laboratory is focused on understanding important physiological and
disease processes in skin biology with a special interest in
translating this knowledge in prognostic, diagnostic or
therapeutic tools for patients.
1) The epidermis is the first barrier against
infections and helps our body maintain its water and heat. This is
performed throughout life by the activity of epidermal stem cells
that enter terminal differentiation. Our research intends to find
new technologies to track the activation and progeny of epidermal
stem cells and the way their surrounding environment such as a
wound, fibroblast populations or their location might influence
them with potential translation in models of skin wound
healing.
2) Melanoma is a life threatening skin
cancer that may also affect young individuals. The occurrence of
metastases severely reduces survival and to date there is no
treatment for this stage of the disease. Current intense
therapeutic approaches are hampered by severe toxicity with reduced
efficiency possibly because they are not sufficiently targeted on
patients at risk of metastases. Our objective is to determine early
molecular markers of metastatic evolution.
3) Auto-immune disorders account for
some of the most debilitating diseases affecting elderly but also
pediatric populations. Despite significant advances in patient
care, treatment options are hampered by significant morbidity.
Recently, several studies have shown the association between
microchimerism acquired during gestation and auto-immune disorders
that may resemble graft versus host disease suggesting that
donor-recipient allogeneic responses may be at the basis of the
disruption of tolerance in these individuals resulting in an
auto-immune disorder.
Our research projects are:
1) Epidermal homeostasis and wound
healing:
Role of macrophage and endothelial progenitor populations in
skin wounds
Tracking the fate and activation of epidermal stem cells using
advanced imaging and genetic technology
Evaluate mesenchymal populations supportive of skin regeneration
in acute skin wounds
2) Identifying signalling pathways with
prognostic value in cutaneous melanoma
Jak2/Stat5 signalling in melanoma prognosis
Non-mendelien genetic models of melanoma
Evaluation of predictive factors of metastases in a cohort of
high risk melanoma
Mathematical modelling of reccurence in stage III melanoma
Skin cancer risk in patients receiving TNF blocking agents
3) Investigating the role of allogenic immune
responses of chimeric cell populations as the potential origin of
common auto-immune disorders.
Key publications
Khosrotehrani K, Johnson KL, Salomon RN, Cha
DH, Bianchi DW. Transfer of fetal cells with multilineage potential
to maternal tissue. JAMA. 2004 Jul 7;292(1):75-80.
Nguyen Huu S, Oster M, Uzan S, Chareyre F, Aractingi S,
Khosrotehrani K. Maternal neoangiogenesis during
pregnancy partly derives from fetal endothelial progenitor cells.
P Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Feb 6;104(6):1871-6.
Khosrotehrani K, Leduc M, Bachy V, Nguyen Huu
S, Oster M, Abbas A, Uzan S, Aractingi S. Pregnancy allows the
transfer and differentiation of fetal lymphoid progenitors into
functional T and B cells in mothers. J Immunol. 2008 Jan
15;180(2):889-97.
Nguyen Huu S, Oster M, Avril MF, Boitier F, Mortier L, Richard
MA, Kerob D, Maubec E, Souteyrand P, Moguelet P,
Khosrotehrani K*, Aractingi S*. Fetal
microchimeric cells participate in tumour angiogenesis in melanomas
occurring during pregnancy. Am J Pathol, 2009
Feb;174(2):630-7 (*senior author)
Parant O, Dubernard G, Challier JC, Oster M, Uzan S, Aractingi
S, Khosrotehrani K. CD34+ cells in maternal
placental blood are mainly fetal in origin and express endothelial
markers. Lab Invest. 2009 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print]
REVIEW:
Nguyen Huu S, Dubernard G, Aractingi S, Khosrotehrani
K. Feto-maternal cell trafficking: a transfer of pregnancy
associated progenitor cells. Stem Cell Rev.
2006;2(2):111-6.
Contact details and email
A/Prof Kiarash Khosrotehrani
Tel: +61733466077
Fax: +61733465598
Email: k.khosrotehrani@uq.edu.au
Research Staff
Dr Edwige Roy - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr Mathieu Rodero - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Samantha Hodgson - Research Assistant
Maryrose Malt - Honorary Research Assistant
Funding acknowledgement
Ramaciotti Foundation
NHMRC project
Potential PhD Projects
A PhD project would be available in the third theme on
fetal-maternal chimerism and allo-immunity as the origin of
auto-immunity.
Collaborations
Prof Nicholas Fisk (UQCCR)
Dr George Bou-Gharios (IMPERIAL COLLEGE, LONDON)
Dr Kelli MacDonald (Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, QIMR),
Prof Geoff Hill (Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, QIMR),
Prof Peter Soyer (Dermatology group, UQ, Princess Alexandra
Hospital)
A/Prof Mark Smithers (Melanoma Clinic, Princess Alexandra
Hospital)
