Professor Monica Spiteri

Title: Professor in Respiratory Medicine


Phone: +44 (0)1782 553024
Email:
m.spiteri@virgin.net
Location: Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University,
Guy Hilton Research Centre, Thornburrow Drive, Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 7QB United Kingdom
Role: ISTM Research themes: 1. Bioengineering & Therapeutics
2. Clinical & Diagnostic Science
Contacting me: By phone or email please
Prof Monica Spiteri

ISTM Research themes: 1. Bioengineering & Therapeutics
2. Clinical & Diagnostic Science

Research Interests:

Professor Spiteri directs and oversees the Lung Research programme, which incorporates a multidisciplinary approach of cell pathology, molecular biology and bioengineering. Her group has established an international expertise in:

  • Utilization of ex-vivo cell injury-repair models (incorporating appropriate mechanical stress stimuli) to explore mechanisms in tissue / airway wall remodelling in pulmonary fibrogenesis and rhinovirus-associated airway inflammation.
  • Explorative technology for early detection and monitoring of lung disease. Specific areas of interest include :
  • Use of optical coherence tomography for early detection of in situ precancerous / malignant lesions within the respiratory epithelium.
  • Use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for airway mucus analysis to identify individual health and disease onset-related sputum fingerprints.

Images of porcine trachea by (left) standard histological section (H & E stain) and (right) OCT. E represents epithelia; LP: lamina propria; G: mucous gland; PC: perichondrium; C: cartilage. The bar is 500 mm.  

Research Grants:

Project Leaders

Funder

Title

Start

Duration (mths)

Awarded

Prof A Wardlaw, Prof M Spiteri, Prof W Cookson, Prof M Whyte

 

PPP Healthcare Medical Trust

The genetic epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

2002

48

£274, 662

Prof M Spiteri, Dr J Allen

 

British Lung Foundation

Role of connective tissue growth factor over-expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

2002

72

£119,776

Prof M Spiteri

 

North Staffs Hospital Cancer Research Fund Charity

Use of OCT as an optical pathological marker for early detection of lung cancer and in situ pre-cancerous lesions

2003

24

£51,500

Prof M Spiteri

 

North Staffs Hospital Thoracic Research Fund

To establish biochemical fingerprints in expectorated sputum by FTIR spectroscopy

2004

24

£39,630
Prof M Spiteri North Staffordshire Medical Institute OCT lung screening tool development for early detection of lung cancer 2005 24 £23,000

Prof M Spiteri

Department of Health, MidTech

OCT development for intra-operative use in lung cancer

2006

12

£40,000
Selection of Publications:

Whiteman  SC, Yang Y, Gey van Pittius D, Stevens M, Parmar J, Wang R, Spiteri MA
Optical Coherence Tomography: real time imaging of human bronchial airways microstructure and detection of inflammatory/ neoplastic morphological changes. Clinical  Cancer Research 2006, 12:3 813-818   

Watts KL, Sampson EM, Schultz GS, Spiteri MA
Simvastatin inhibits growth factor expression and modulates pro-fibrinogenic markers in lung fibroblasts. Am J Rev Cell Mol Biol 2005, 32:4; 290-300

Watts KL, Spiteri MA
Connective tissue growth actor expression and induction of transforming growth factor-beta is abrogated by simvastatin via a RHO signalling mechanism. Am J Physiol - Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2004, 287:6; L1323-L1332

Y.Yang, S.Whiteman, D.Gey van Pittius, Y.He, R.Wang, M.A.Spiteri
Use of optical coherence tomography in delineating airways microstructure: comparison of OCT images to histopathological sections. Phys Med Biol, 2004, 49 : 1247-1255.

Whiteman S, Bianco A, Knight RA, Spiteri MA
Human Rhinovirus selectively modulates membrane bound and soluble forms of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) receptor to promote epithelial cell infectivity. J Biol Chem 2003, 278 (14) : 11954 -11961

Mapp CE, De Marzo N, Pozzato V, Boschetto P, Fryer AA, Strange R, Hemmingsen A, Spiteri MA
GSTP1 is a susceptibility gene for occupational asthma induced by isocynates. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002, 109 : 867-872

Bloor C, Knight R, Kedia R, Spiteri MA, Allen JT
Differential mRNA expression of Insulin-like Growth Factor splice variants in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001, 164, 265-272.

Bianco A, Whiteman S, Sethi S, Knight R, Spiteri MA
Airway epithelial cell ICAM-1 in atopy: a mechanism for increased rhinovirus infection? Clin Exp Immunol 2000, 121: 339-345.

Fryer A, Bianco A, Hepple M, Jones P, Strange R, Spiteri MA
Polymorphism at the Glutathione S-transferase, GSTP1 locus : a new marker for bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2000, 161 : 1437-1442.

Selected Publications

  • Akram KM, Samad S, Spiteri MA, Forsyth NR. 2013. Mesenchymal stem cells promote alveolar epithelial cell wound repair in vitro through distinct migratory and paracrine mechanisms. Respir Res, vol. 14, 9. link> doi>
  • Akram KM, Lomas NJ, Spiteri MA, Forsyth NR. 2013. Club cells inhibit alveolar epithelial wound repair via TRAIL-dependent apoptosis. Eur Respir J, vol. 41(3), 683-694. link> doi>
  • Akram KM, Samad S, Spiteri M, Forsyth NR. 2012. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy and Lung Diseases. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. link> doi>
  • Lomas NJ, Watts KL, Akram KM, Forsyth NR, Spiteri MA. 2012. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: immunohistochemical analysis provides fresh insights into lung tissue remodelling with implications for novel prognostic markers. Int J Clin Exp Pathol, vol. 5(1), 58-71. link>
  • Akram KM, Spiteri M, Forsyth NR. 2010. CLARA CELLS INHIBIT ALVEOLAR EPITHELIAL WOUND REPAIR THROUGH A TRAIL-DEPENDENT APOPTOSIS MECHANISM. THORAX (vol. 65, pp. A62-A63). link> doi>

Full Publications List show

Journal Articles

  • Akram KM, Samad S, Spiteri MA, Forsyth NR. 2013. Mesenchymal stem cells promote alveolar epithelial cell wound repair in vitro through distinct migratory and paracrine mechanisms. Respir Res, vol. 14, 9. link> doi>
  • Akram KM, Lomas NJ, Spiteri MA, Forsyth NR. 2013. Club cells inhibit alveolar epithelial wound repair via TRAIL-dependent apoptosis. Eur Respir J, vol. 41(3), 683-694. link> doi>
  • Akram KM, Samad S, Spiteri M, Forsyth NR. 2012. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy and Lung Diseases. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. link> doi>
  • Lomas NJ, Watts KL, Akram KM, Forsyth NR, Spiteri MA. 2012. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: immunohistochemical analysis provides fresh insights into lung tissue remodelling with implications for novel prognostic markers. Int J Clin Exp Pathol, vol. 5(1), 58-71. link>
  • Whiteman SC, Yang Y, Jones JM, Spiteri MA. 2008. FTIR spectroscopic analysis of sputum: preliminary findings on a potential novel diagnostic marker for COPD. Ther Adv Respir Dis, vol. 2(1), 23-31. link> doi>
  • Whiteman SC and Spiteri MA. 2008. IFN-gamma regulation of ICAM-1 receptors in bronchial epithelial cells: soluble ICAM-1 release inhibits human rhinovirus infection. J Inflamm (Lond), vol. 5, 8. link> doi>
  • Mukherjee S and Spiteri M. 2006. Transbronchial biopsy and usual interstitial pneumonia: a step backward in disease management?. Chest, vol. 130(5), 1628. link>
  • Whiteman SC, Yang Y, Gey van Pittius D, Stephens M, Parmer J, Spiteri MA. 2006. Optical coherence tomography: real-time imaging of bronchial airways microstructure and detection of inflammatory/neoplastic morphologic changes. Clin Cancer Res, vol. 12(3 Pt 1), 813-818. link> doi>
  • Patel KR, Pavia D, Lowe L, Spiteri M. 2006. Inhaled ethanolic and aqueous solutions via Respimat Soft Mist Inhaler are well-tolerated in asthma patients. Respiration, vol. 73(4), 434-440. link> doi>
  • Watts KL, Cottrell E, Hoban PR, Spiteri MA. 2006. RhoA signaling modulates cyclin D1 expression in human lung fibroblasts; implications for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Respir Res, vol. 7, 88. link> doi>
  • Watts KL and Spiteri MA. 2004. Connective tissue growth factor expression and induction by transforming growth factor-beta is abrogated by simvastatin via a Rho signaling mechanism. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, vol. 287(6), L1323-L1332. link> doi>
  • Yang Y, Whiteman S, Gey van Pittius D, He Y, Wang RK, Spiteri MA. 2004. Use of optical coherence tomography in delineating airways microstructure: comparison of OCT images to histopathological sections. Phys Med Biol, vol. 49(7), 1247-1255. link> doi>
  • Whiteman SC, Bianco A, Knight RA, Spiteri MA. 2003. Human rhinovirus selectively modulates membranous and soluble forms of its intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) receptor to promote epithelial cell infectivity. J Biol Chem, vol. 278(14), 11954-11961. link> doi>
  • Mansur AH, Fryer AA, Hepple M, Strange RC, Spiteri MA. 2002. An association study between the Clara cell secretory protein CC16 A38G polymorphism and asthma phenotypes. Clin Exp Allergy, vol. 32(7), 994-999. link> doi>
  • Allen JT and Spiteri MA. 2002. Growth factors in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: relative roles. Respir Res, vol. 3, 13. link>
  • Bloor CA, Knight RA, Kedia RK, Spiteri MA, Allen JT. 2001. Differential mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 splice variants in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, vol. 164(2), 265-272. link>
  • Bianco A, Whiteman SC, Sethi SK, Allen JT, Knight RA, Spiteri MA. 2000. Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in nasal epithelial cells of atopic subjects: a mechanism for increased rhinovirus infection?. Clin Exp Immunol, vol. 121(2), 339-345. link>
  • Allen JT, Bloor CA, Kedia RK, Knight RA, Spiteri MA. 2000. Expression of growth hormone-releasing factor, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and its binding proteins in human lung. Neuropeptides, vol. 34(2), 98-107. link> doi>
  • Allen JT, Knight RA, Bloor CA, Spiteri MA. 1999. Enhanced insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein 2 (Connective tissue growth factor) expression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol, vol. 21(6), 693-700. link> doi>
  • Bianco A, Sethi SK, Allen JT, Knight RA, Spiteri MA. 1998. Th2 cytokines exert a dominant influence on epithelial cell expression of the major group human rhinovirus receptor, ICAM-1. Eur Respir J, vol. 12(3), 619-626. link>
  • Allen JT, Bloor CA, Knight RA, Spiteri MA. 1998. Expression of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol, vol. 19(2), 250-258. link> doi>
  • Bianco A and Spiteri MA. 1998. A biological model to explain the association between human rhinovirus respiratory infections and bronchial asthma. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis, vol. 53(1), 83-87. link>
  • Spiteri MA and Bianco A. 1998. The clinical and biological impact of viral respiratory infections on the human airway: focus on the rhinovirus. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis, vol. 53(1), 80-82. link>
  • Sethi SK, Bianco A, Allen JT, Knight RA, Spiteri MA. 1997. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) down-regulates the rhinovirus-induced expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on human airway epithelial cells. Clin Exp Immunol, vol. 110(3), 362-369. link>
  • Spiteri M. 1994. Fluoroquinolones in upper respiratory tract infections. BMJ, vol. 308(6929), 657-658. link>
  • Hasani A, Spiteri M, Pavia D, Agnew JE, Clarke SW. 1992. Tracheobronchial clearance in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Chest, vol. 101(6), 1614-1618. link>

Other

  • Akram KM, Spiteri M, Forsyth NR. 2010. CLARA CELLS INHIBIT ALVEOLAR EPITHELIAL WOUND REPAIR THROUGH A TRAIL-DEPENDENT APOPTOSIS MECHANISM. THORAX (vol. 65, pp. A62-A63). link> doi>
  • Spiteri MA, Bianco A, Strange RC, Fryer AA. 2000. Polymorphisms at the glutathione S-transferase, GSTP1 locus: a novel mechanism for susceptibility and development of atopic airway inflammation. Allergy (vol. 55 Suppl 61, pp. 15-20). link> doi>