Developing novel therapeutics for infection and inflammation - Peter Barlow

Work in the Barlow lab at Edinburgh Napier University focuses on exploiting Cationic Host Defence Peptides as novel therapeutic agents to treat infection and inflammation.

Professor Peter Barlow is Professor of Immunology & Infection at Edinburgh Napier University.  His primary focus is in studying the human innate immune system with a view to developing novel therapeutics for infections. He is particularly interested in the activities of Cationic Host Defence Peptides (HDP), principally in the context of viral respiratory infections, such as influenza and rhinovirus.
 
HDP, also known as antimicrobial peptides, are a key part of the immune response. These peptides have been shown to display broad antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities and, as such, are exciting targets for novel therapeutics. This work is complemented by Peter’s collaboration with Dr Craig Stevens, investigating peptide based therapeutics for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  The role of autophagy, dysregulated cell death and the involvement of the cytoskeleton in the host cell responses to infection has yet to be fully elucidated.
 
Peter also has a long-standing interest in the impact of particulate air pollution on the immune response. The concepts of Peter’s work can be expanded to broadly include many different types of inflammatory and infectious conditions, but are unified by the common interest in the multiple roles of HDP in the immune response.
 
Peter is passionate about public engagement with science, and is a media spokesperson for the British Society for Immunology.  He regularly appears on national and international media outlets speaking about his own work and the importance of immunological research in addressing infectious disease challenges and global health issues.
 

Recent publication highlights

 
Findlay, F., Pohl, J., Svoboda, P., Shakamuri, P., McLean, K., Inglis, N.F., Proudfoot, L. and Barlow, P.G. (2017) Carbon nanoparticles inhibit the antimicrobial activities of the human cathelicidin LL-37 through structural alteration. Journal of Immunology. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1700706
 
Sousa, F.H., Casanova, V., Findlay, F., Stevens, C., Svoboda, P., Pohl, J., Proudfoot, L. and Barlow, P.G. (2017) Cathelicidins display conserved direct antiviral activity towards rhinovirus. Peptides. 95: 76-83.
 
Hooper, K.M., Barlow, P.G., Stevens, C. and Henderson, P. (2017) Inflammatory bowel disease drugs: a focus on autophagy. Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis. 11(1): 118-127.
 
Coyle, C., Wheelhouse, N., Jacques, M., Longbottom, D., Svoboda, P., Pohl, J., Duncan, W.C., Rae, M.T. and Barlow, P.G. (2016) Ovine trophoblasts express cathelicidin host defence peptide in response to infection. Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 117: 10-16.  (Pubmed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27348190)
 
Findlay, F., Proudfoot, L., Stevens, C. and Barlow, P.G. (2016) Cationic host defence peptides; Novel antimicrobial therapeutics against Category A pathogens and emerging infections. Pathogens and Global Health. 110(4-5): 137-147.

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