Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome for the treatment of inflammatory diseases Dr Rebecca Coll (Queens University Belfast) presents her work on innate immunity in humans and the development of inhibitors against a range of inflammatory conditions. Hosted by Dr Dave Boucher.

Seminar
This event has now finished.
  • Date and time: Friday 8 March 2024, 1pm to 2pm
  • Location: Dianna Bowles Lecture Theatre, B/K/018, Biology Building, Campus West, University of York (Map)
  • Audience: Open to alumni, staff, students (postgraduate researchers, taught postgraduates, undergraduates)
  • Admission: Free admission, booking not required

Event details

Abstract

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a central regulator of inflammation in myeloid cells. Rare inherited diseases cause NLRP3 hyperactivation while NLRP3-associated inflammation also contributes to the development of many chronic diseases such as Parkinson's and atherosclerosis. I will discuss our work on small-molecule inhibitors of NLRP3 and the current status of clinical trials in this area. I will then describe an unpublished story from our group that describes a novel endogenous mechanism that negatively regulates NLRP3 to limit damaging inflammation.

About the speaker

Dr Rebecca Coll

Rebecca is a Lecturer in Immunobiology at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast.

Her research focus is inflammasomes – protein complexes at the heart of inflammation and disease – and how inflammasomes can be targeted therapeutically to prevent damaging inflammation. Rebecca led the biological characterization of the small molecule MCC950 that inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome, a driver of many of prevalent diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, gout, multiple sclerosis, and atherosclerosis. 

A particular focus has been small-molecule inhibitors of the NLRP3
inflammasome and this cross-disciplinary research has been extremely successful, generating nine publications including landmark studies on the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 (Coll et al., Nature Medicine, 2015; Coll et al. Nature Chemical Biology, 2019). Rebecca is a co-inventor on a granted patent and two patent applications pertaining to NLRP3 inhibitors that were licensed to Inflazome Ltd. In 2020, Inflazome was purchased by Roche for $449M. Dr Coll has a record of innovative and translatable research that has been recognised internationally by her Research Australia Discovery award (2016) and ICIS Regeneron New Investigator Award (2021). Rebecca is passionate about characterising inflammasome biology in human systems which will ultimately accelerate the development of new treatments for patients with inflammatory diseases.