My long-standing research interests have been focused on the role and regulation of epithelial secretory proteins. This work has principally involved the study of the airway epithelium, through the use of 3D in vitro model systems, but more recently has expanded to include the oral and nasal mucosa and the epithelium of the middle ear. My specific interests have focused on the fields of innate immunity, host defence and tumour biology.

I have also recently started to investigate the potential of using my tissue culture expertise to develop in vitro models of human salivary glands from fresh human tissue. We are now routinely isolating cells from human sublingual glands and are currently characterising cell phenotype under different culture conditions. The mid-term aim is to use these models to begin to elucidate the initial stages of salivary gland diseases such as Sjogren’s syndrome and salivary gland tumours.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the 6th most common cancers worldwide. The survival rate for head and neck cancer is poor. This is largely due to late diagnosis and a lack of effective therapeutic agents.

My particular research interest is in the development of multi-cellular three dimensional in vitro models of the oral mucosa in health and disease. My current research utilises these models to develop; new methods of detecting oral pre-cancer, novel drugs to treat oral cancer and new modes of drug delivery systems.

Research interests

• Cariology
• Preventive dentistry, particularly fissure sealants
• Evidence based dentistry
• Child-centred dental research

My areas of particular research interests are cariology, preventive dentistry, research in primary dental care, evidence based dentistry and child focused research.

Research interests

The primary focus on my research has been the experience of oral health conditions and to this end I have been instrumental in securing funding from commercial bodies to explore the impact of dentine sensitivity on everyday life. This research conducted along with colleagues in the Unit of Dental Public Health has resulted in a new measure of the impact of dentine sensitivity.

I am also continuing to study the sociology of the mouth in everyday life by looking at the impact of oral conditions and the experience of the mouth in the media and everyday life. This work involves the use of systems theory, consumerism and the sociology of the body.

I maintain a healthy interest in grounded theory and to this end I continue to write on the method. I like to focus on blending it with other approaches such as systems theory and critical theory and at the same time I like to clarify the original version of grounded theory.

Bacterial infections cause a diverse range of disease ranging from superficial skin infections to
periodontitis to severe infections such as sepsis and meningitis. This coupled with rising
antimicrobial resistance have led to increasing burdens of infection and are therefore a significant
health concern worldwide. Bacterial adhesion to host cells is essential for both colonisation and
infection. New therapies to prevent adhesion could significantly decrease disease and reduce the
burden of antibiotic usage.
We have identified a superfamily of proteins on host cells which appear to control bacterial
adherence to epithelial cells. These proteins, the tetraspanins, do not act as receptors but organise
and cluster hijacked host proteins into 'adhesion platforms' to allow efficient adherence and entry of
bacteria to cells. Blockade of these proteins leads to a significant reduction in bacterial adherence of
many Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. Using a variety of techniques we have identified
members of these adhesion platforms and new ways to inhibit their function during infection.
Furthermore, we investigate changes to the composition of both bacterial membrane proteins and
host adhesion platforms during tetraspanin-mediated infection utilising a number of bacteria as
models.
We are also interested in the importance of the bacterial microbiome in humans and how dysbiosis
of this flora can affect various diseases ranging from skin afflictions to cancer. We currently run a
number of studies which utilise Oxford Nanopore Technology sequencers to delineate the
microbiome.

Research Profile: (max 4000 characters)

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the 8th most common cancer in the UK. There are approximately 12,400 new HNC cases diagnosed in the UK each year and over 4,000 HNC-related deaths annually (Cancer Research UK). The Hunt Lab focuses on the role of extracellular vesicles (and other extracellular particles) in HNC. We research the mechanisms regulating their production (biogenesis) and how they mediate intercellular communication within the tumour microenvironment. We also explore how they could be exploited as a source of diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and as novel therapeutic targets for head and neck cancer. Working in a clinical department, we have access to ex vivo patient samples and a wide range of HNC cell lines for in vitro studies.

Molecular mechanisms underlying head and neck cancer progression

Head and neck cancer (HNSCC) ranks among the top ten most common cancers worldwide and is increasingly prevalent, particularly in younger age groups. The survival rate for this devastating disease is poor, largely due to late diagnosis and a lack of effective therapeutic agents. We are pursuing a number of research avenues which aim to identify diagnostic markers and prognostic indicators and to elucidate novel therapeutic targets to halt disease progression:

The role of microRNA in HNSCC
MicroRNA are small, non-coding, RNA which regulate the expression of target genes by binding to complementary sequences in their transcripts. Changes in the levels of a number of microRNA have been detected in a variety of cancers, including HNSCC. We are currently carrying out a number of projects studying the involvement of microRNA in the motility of HNSCC, with particular interest centring on their roles in modulating cell:extracellular matrix interactions and signalling pathway activity. In addition we are assessing the possibility of using specific microRNA as prognostic indicators in HNSCC progression. These studies complement work investigating microRNA involvement in prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease being carried out in collaboration with Prof Anthony J Turner at the University of Leeds.

The influence of microenvironment on tumour progression
It is becoming increasingly apparent that cancer cell behaviour is dictated, at least to some extent, by the surrounding microenvironment. HNSCC cells are surrounded in vivo by a stromal milieu, composed of fibroblasts, endothelial cell and immune cells. We are currently studying the mechanisms by which the cancer-associated stroma influences HNSCC progression.

Host-microbe interactions in periodontal disease

Chronic periodontitis, an inflammatory disease leading to tooth loss, affects over 300 million people worldwide and is a significant healthcare burden particularly in the older population. Although not a classical infectious disease, the role of bacteria in causing periodontitis is unequivocal with several bacterial species such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia being implicated as causative agents. The virulence of periodontal pathogens is attributed not only to bacterial factors that directly damage tissue but also to their ability to dysregulate the host immune response. We are currently investigating the ability of periodontal pathogens to modulate the immune response by altering the expression of specific microRNA, which in turn influence the expression of components of the innate immune response

Synthesis and application of nano-particulate materials for dental applications.

The application of nucleating agents for the remineralisation of dentine

Integrity of structurally compromised restored teeth as compound systems

Optimisation of ceramic crown-tooth compound systems

Development and characterisation of novel restorative systems.

Remote digital communication for the provision of health care in dentistry

Development of L&T in restorative dentistry

Clinical evaluation of restorative systems

Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) ranks among the top ten most common cancers worldwide. The survival rate for this cancer is poor, largely due to late diagnosis and a lack of effective therapeutic agents.

In collaboration with other members of the Oral Disease Cluster, I am pursuing a number of research avenues which aim to use diagnostic markers for early detection of HNSCC, to elucidate novel therapeutic targets to halt disease progression, to understand how tumour cells interact with the endothelium during metastasis and to study the interaction between stromal cells (fibroblasts, leukocytes) and tumour cells in the tumour microenvironment.

Host-microbial interactions

The mucosa of the oral cavity is constantly in contact with many different types of micro-organisms. Some of these are commensal organisms whilst others cause disease.

I am interested in how the fungal organism Candida albicans and the Gram-negative bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis interact with the oral mucosa and the molecular mechanisms of the host innate immune system against these pathogens.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dentalschool/research/ibio/hub

Dr Thomas Paterson is a Lecturer in the School of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Sheffield, where he combines his expertise in materials science with the field of bioelectronics to drive innovations in healthcare. His research primarily develops implantable and wearable bioelectronic devices that improve diagnostics and treatments across various medical applications. These devices span a wide array of applications, from epilepsy treatment and soft electrode manufacturing to wound healing and dental health monitoring, aiming to address complex healthcare challenges through technology.

Throughout his career, Dr Paterson has developed a particular interest in additive manufacturing, hydrogel engineering, biosignal recording and antimicrobial materials. These interests have translated into several ongoing projects, including developing conductive and elastic materials for wearable diagnostics, conductive electrospun sensors for jaw movement tracking, and exploring cellular mechanisms underpinning wound healing under variable pressure conditions.

Research interests

My earliest work was in the field of neuroscience, where I used the human
tooth pulp as a model to gain greater understanding into mechanisms of
inflammatory pain. However, I then moved from basic science research to
more social science research. I have focussed on the patient experience
with particular emphasis on the impact of dental conditions, such as
traumatic dental injuries or enamel defects on children's oral health-related
quality of life. I am also very involved in research to reduce children's
dental anxiety through a guided self-help cognitive behavioural therapy
approach. I work in a fantastic multi-disciplinary research team which aims
to improve the oral health and treatment experiences of children and
young people through a combination of clinical and social science research
strategies. Our ethos is to engage children themselves in all our research
and service development activities. To date, I have supervised 10 PhDs, 2
MPhils and 11 Masters to completion which have mostly had a
child-centred theme.

My current research programme is driven by Health and Social policy which have highlighted the need to be more inclusive of children in decisions about their healthcare, as well as involving them more actively in health-related research and service development. In line with this, a key research objective is to develop robust patient-centred clinical outcome measures for use in dentistry. These will have important application within the NHS in determining the benefits of various treatment modalities in order to more effectively direct resource allocation.

I work within a unique multi-disciplinary research group at the University of Sheffield, the ‘Person Centered and Population Oral Health’ group, which includes researchers across several clinical specialities and social sciences. The group conducts and implements high quality research in oral health, utilising the theories and empirical traditions of dental public health, sociology and psychology and a range of methodologies.

The Group takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigating a range of biological problems ranging form basic biology to prototype translational projects.  There are several areas of research within the group which centres around the study of human pathogens with an overall aim at understanding microbial disease processes and exploiting the knowledge we generate for translational purposes wherever possible.

Periodontal pathogens: Our main focus over the last few years has centered on Gram-negative anaerobic species, mainly Tannerella forsythia (pictured) and Porphyromonas gingivalis that are involved in the common disease periodontitis, estimated to affect 300 million people worldwide.  However, most of the processes which we study in these bacteria are relevant to a range of human pathogenic bacteria with wide-ranging microbiological implications.  For example we have focused on biofilm formation, host-interactions and the role of sialic acid in periodontal pathogens.

Synthetic Biology: Our other main focus is in the developing area of Synthetic Biology where we are working to exploit biotechnological possibilities exploiting biological knowledge of pathogenic bacteria with a particular focus on protein secretion systems and bacterial adhesins.

The group  employ a variety of genetic and biochemical techniques while in collaboration with colleagues in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering and Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBB) we also apply a range of biophysical, biochemical and proteomic techniques to answer key questions within our areas of interest.