A joint venture between the Department of Biology and The Hull York Medical School

Profile

Biography

Mark Coles is a senior lecturer in the Centre for Immunology and Infection and Hull York Medical school since 2006. He obtained his BSc in Microbiology from Cornell University (USA), PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley in Professor David Raulet Laboratory. He did postdoctoral research in Molecular Immunology, National Institute for Medical Research (UK) with Dr Dimitris Kioussis.

Career

• Cornell University
  BSc in Microbiology
• University of California, Berkeley
  PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology
• National Institute for Medical Research (UK)
  Postdoctoral researcher
• Centre for Immunology and Infection
  Lecturer (2006 - 2010)
• Centre for Immunology and Infection
  Senior Lecturer (2010 -)

Research

Overview

• Cellular differentiation
• Human embryonic stem cells
• Stromal cells
• Haematopoietic stem cells
• Organogenesis
• Lymphoid microenvironments
• Developmental immunology

Technologies

Imaging and cytometry laboratory, 4D multiphoton imaging, tissue engineering, imaging immune responses, stem cells

Current projects

• Stroma: immune interactions in health and disease
  Immune responses occur in specialized microenvironments found in lymphoid tissues. Using fluorescent protein reporters, gene knockouts, bioengineering, multiphoton imaging, gene expression analysis and computer modelling to study the molecular basis of lymphoid tissue development and function.
• Lymphoid organogenesis
  In several chronic autoimmune disorders, including diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, lymphocyte infiltration into tissues leads to the formation of tertiary lymphoid organs (TLO) strongly resembling lymph nodes in both structure and function, and also containing a 3D network of stromal cells. Thus, the possibility of therapeutic intervention to disrupt TLO formation has led to the study of Lymph Node and Peyer's patch organogenesis. Our research focuses on early events in LN organogenesis including the cellular origin of LN stroma and the mechanism of T and B cell zone stroma differentiation.
• Thymus development
  Development of T cells occurs in a specialized lymphoid organ called the thymus. Research in the lab focuses on the role of neural crest derived stromal cells in the development and function of the thymus.
• Function of lymph node microenvironment
  Efficient adaptive immune responses occur in specialized structures called lymph nodes. Our research analyzes structure function relationships between haematopoietic derived cells and "stromal" elements.
• Engineering a network of artificial lymph nodes (ALN)
  Utilizing our understanding of LN development we are working on the development of artificial lymph nodes. Utilizing tissue engineering we are working on the development of ALNs to understand fundamental mechanism of LN development and function.
• Use of human embryonic stem cells (hES) and induced pleuropotent stem (iPS) cells to study the development and function of haematopoietic microenvironment
  Utilizing hES and iPS cells we are using 3D models of the bone marrow microenvironment to study mechanisms of haematopoietic stem cell development and differentiation.

Research group(s)

• Coles research group (Immunology)

Grants

Current funding

• NC3Rs
  Human and Artificial Lymph Nodes: Novel Technology to Reduce and Replace the use of animal models in clinical and developmental immunology (2012-2015)
• Human Frontiers Science Program
  Physiological forces in LN development and function: Engineering an Artifical Lymph Node (2009-2012)
• EPSRC White Rose Tissue Engineering Initiative
  LSCIDTC: (2008-2013)  

Previous funding

• Medical Research Council 
  Use of bioenergetic profiling to generate biomarkers of stem cell potential (2009-2011)
• Medical Research Council 
  The role of IL-7/IL7R interactions in the development, maintenance and organization of the lymph node microenvironment (2007-2010)
• Candlelighters 
  A model system of paediatric leukaemia using human embryonic stem cells (2007-2010)
• CASE PhD studentship
  AstraZeneca/BBSRC: High Through-put Imaging of Signaling Pathways in Pericyte - Endothelial cell interactions. (2007-2010)
• White Rose University Consortium/Yorkshire Cancer Stem Cell Network 
  PhD studentship, Modelling the molecular basis of paediatric leukaemia using human embryonic stem cells, (2008-2011)
• The Royal Society 
  Does innate stimulation during immune responses modify IL-7 expression and stromal cell function in draining lymphoid tissues or at the site of infecton (2008-2009)
• CASE PhD studentship
  AstraZeneca/BBSRC: Function and Development of Lymphoid Stromal Cells. (2006-2009)
• Department of Biology, University of York
  Feasibility Study of Technology Platforms for imaging in vitro Predictive Disease Models (2008-2009)
• Department of Biology, University of York
  Human ES cells (2007-2008)
• Department of Biology, University of York
  Investigating the role of growth factor signalling in microRNA biogenesis(2009-2010)

Available PhD research projects

Immune regulation, 4D imaging, T cell memory; leukaemia, haematopoiesis, stromal cells, organ development, 3d organization, cellular migration

See the Department of Biology website (http://www.york.ac.uk/biology/postgraduate/) for Departmental application requirements, process, and guidelines.  New available studentships are announced on these web pages, the Departmental site and on FindAPhD.  Please email mark.coles@york.ac.uk for further enquiries.

Publications

Selected publications

• Onder L, Narang P, Scandella E, Chai Q, Iolyeva M, Hoorweg K, Halin C, Richie E, Kaye P, Westermann J, Cupedo T, Coles M, Ludewig B, IL-7–producing stromal cells are critical for lymph node remodelling, Blood 120:4675-4683, 2012
• Cupedo, T, Stroock, A, Coles, M, Application of tissue engineering to the immune system: development of artificial lymph nodes, Frontiers in Immunology, 3 (343), doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2012.00343, 2012
• A. Patel, N. Harker, L. Moreira-Santos, M. Ferreira, K. Alden, J. Timmis, K. Foster, A. Garefalaki, P. Pachnis, P. Andrews, H. Enomoto, J. Milbrandt, V. Pachnis, M. C. Coles, D. Kioussis, H. Veiga-Fernandes (2012) Differential RET Signaling Pathways Drive Development of the Enteric Lymphoid and Nervous Systems. Science Signalling 5, no. 235.
• K. Alden, J.Timmis, P.S. Andrews, H. Veiga-Fernandes, M.Coles (2012) Pairing experimentation and computational modelling to understand the role of tissue inducer cells in the development of lymphoid organs. Frontiers in Immunology. Vol 3. DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2012.00172
• Moore JW, Beattie L, Dalton JE, Owens BM, Maroof A, Coles MC, Kaye PM (2012) B cell: T cell interactions occur within hepatic granulomas during experimental visceral leishmaniasis. PLOS One 7(3)e34143.

• Kang J, Coles M (2012) IL-7: The global builder of the innate lymphoid network and beyond, one niche at a time. Seminars in Immunology. 24(3): 190-7.

• Reynolds, J, Coles, M, Lythe, G, Molina-Paris, C (2012) Deterministic and stoichastic naïve T cell population dynamics: symmetric and asymmetric cell division. Journal of Dynamical Systems, 1-29, iFirst.

• Hoang AT, Chen P, Juarez J, Sachamitr P, Billing B, Bosnjak L, Dahlén B, Coles M, Svensson M (2012) Dendritic cell functional properties in a three-dimensional tissue model of human lung mucosa. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, 302(2), L226-37.
• Bryson JL, Coles MC, Manley NR. (2011) A method for labeling vasculature in embryonic mice. J Vis Exp. Oct 7;(56).

• Alden K, Andrews P.S., Timmis J. , Veiga-Fernandes H., Coles M. (2011) Towards Argument-Driven Validation of an in silico Model of Immune Tissue Organogenesis. Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Artificial Immune Systems. LNCS 6825. pp:66-70.

• Turner, J.D., Jenkins, G.R., Hogg, K.G., Aynsley, S.A., Paveley,  R.A., Cook, P.C., Coles, M.C.,  and Mountford, A. P. (2011) CD4+CD25+ cells regulate colonic Th2 granulomatous pathology caused by schistosome infection.  PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 5, 8 e1269.
• Mourcin, F, Breton, C, Teller, J, Narang, P, Chasson, L, Jorquera, A, Coles, M, Schiff, C, Mancini, SJ (2011) Galectin-1 expressing stromal cells consitute a specific niche for pre-BII cell development in mouse bone marrow. Blood (Epub ahead of print)
• Cupedo, T, Coles, MC, Viega-Fernandes, H. (2010) Development and Structure of Lymph Nodes in Humans and Mice, Developmental Biology of Peripheral Lymphoid Organs. Springer, p59-74. (Book Chapter)
• Ager, A, Coles, MC, Stein, JV. (2010) Development of Lymph Node Circulation and Homing Mechanisms, Developmental Biology of Peripheral Lymphoid Organs. Springer, p74-96. (Book Chapter)
• Cupedo, T, Coles, MC, Viega-Fernandes, H. (2010) Structure and Development of Peyer’s Patches in Humans and Mice, Developmental Biology of Peripheral Lymphoid Organs. Springer, p97-105. (Book Chapter)
• Coles M, Kioussis D, Veiga-Fernandes H. (2010) Commentary on “lymphoid inducer cells and the evolution of CD4 dependent high affinity antibody responses”. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, 92C: 175-176.  (Commentary)
• Coles M, Kioussis D, Veiga-Fernandes H. (2010) Cellular and Molecular Requirements in Lymph Node and Peyer’s Patch Development. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, 92C: 177-205.  (Book Chapter)
• Foster KE, Gordon J, Cardenas K, Veiga-Fernandes H, Makinen T, Grigorieva E, Wilkinson DG, Blackburn CC, Richie E, Manley NR, Adams RH, Kioussis D, Coles MC (2010) EphB-Ephrin-B2 interactions are required for thymus migration during organogenesis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  (PNAS) USA,107(30):13414-9, 2010.
• Veiga-Fernandes H, Foster K, Patel A, Coles M, Kioussis D. (2010) Visualization of lymphoid organ development. Methods Molecular Biology, 616:161-79. (Book Chapter)
• Dalton JE, Maroof A, Owens BM, Narang P, Johnson K, Brown N, Rosenquist L, Beattie L, Coles M, Kaye PM. (2010) Inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinases restores immunocompetence and improves immune-dependent chemotherapy against experimental leishmaniasis in mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 120(4):1204-1216.
• Veiga-Fernandes, H, Kioussis, D, Coles, M. (2010) Natural Killer Receptors: the burden of a name. Journal of  Experimental  Medicine., 15; 207(2):269-72. (Commentary)
• Beattie L, Peltan A, Maroof A, Kirby A, Brown N, Coles M, Smith DF, Kaye PM. (2010) Dynamic imaging of experimental Leishmania donovani-induced hepatic granulomas detects Kupffer cell-restricted antigen presentation to antigen-specific CD8 T cells. PLoS Pathogens. Mar 12;6(3):e1000805.
• Maroof A, Beattie L, Kirby A, Coles M, Kaye PM. (2009) Dendritic Dendritic cells matured by inflammation induce CD86-dependent priming of naive CD8+ T cells in the absence of their cognate peptide antigen. Journal of Immunology. Dec 1;183(11):7095-103.
• Gascoyne DM, Long E, Veiga-Fernandes H, de Boer J, Williams O, Seddon B, Coles M, Kioussis D, and Brady HJM. (2009) The bZIP transcription factor E4bp4/Nfil3 is critically required for NK-cell development. Nature Immunology, vol 10: 1118-1124.
• Kirby AC, Coles MC, Kaye PM. (2009) Alveolar macrophages transport pathogens to lung draining lymph nodes Journal of Immunology 183(3):1983-9 Repas.
• J, Laurent, M, Carter, C, Boris, R, Cardenas, K, Narang, P, Coles, M, Richie, E. (2009) IL7-hCD25 and IL7-Cre BAC Transgenic Mouse Lines: New Tools for Analysis of IL-7 Expressing Cells. Genesis, 47(4):281-7.
• Foster, K, Sheridan, J, Veiga-Fernandes, H, Roderick, K, Bogni, S, Pachnis, V, Adams, R, Blackburn, C, Kioussis, D, Coles, MC, (2008) Contribution of Neural Crest derived cells in the embryonic and adult thymus. Journal of Immunology, 180(5):3183-9
• Veiga-Fernandes, H, Coles, MC, Foster KE, Patel, A, Williams, A, Natarajan, D, Barlow, Pachnis, V, Kioussis, D, (2007) Tyrosine kinase receptor Ret is a key regulator in Peyer's Patch organogenesis. Nature, vol 446(7135) 547-51.
• Coles, MC, Veiga-Fernandes, H, Foster, KE, Norton, T, Pagakis, SN, Seddon, B, Kioussis, D, (2006) Role of T and NK cells and IL7/IL7r interactions during neonatal maturation of lymph nodes. PNAS, Vol 103(36): 13457-13462.
• Jamieson AM, Isnard P, Dorfman JR, Coles MC, Raulet DH. (2004) Turnover and proliferation of NK cells in steady state and lymphopenic conditions. J Immunol. Jan 15;172(2):864-70.
• de Boer J, Williams A, Skavdis G, Harker N, Coles M, Tolaini M, Norton T, Williams K, Roderick K, Potocnik AJ, Kioussis D. (2003) Transgenic mice with hematopoietic and lymphoid specific expression of Cre. Eur J Immunol. Feb;33(2):314-25.

Teaching

Undergraduate

• Immunology 
  Biology year two (five lectures and two practicals)
• Cell and tissue engineering
  Biology year three (one lecture)
• Model organisms in the study of human disease
  Biology year three (one lecture)
• Block four lead
  (HYMS)
• Application of reproductive biotechnology and stem cell technology
  Student selective course year two (HYMS)

Postgraduate

• Microscopy and cytometry
  MScBT (two lectures)
• Eukaryotic model organisms
  MsPGB (one lecture)

External activities

Memberships

• British Society of Immunology
  Member
• Royal Microscopy Society
  Member
• Pathology Society of Great Britain
  Member